Social media site Facebook has announced it is launching a dating service for users.
Chief executive Mark Zuckerberg told a crowd gathered at the F8 conference in San Jose, California the option will be an opt-in for people on the site.
"We are announcing a new set of features coming soon around dating", he told the crowd to applause.
Mark Zuckerberg speaking at the F8 conference in California | Image: Facebook/Mark Zuckerberg
"Now this is going to be for building real, long-term relationships not just hook-ups".
No specific timeline was offered for its launch.
"it's going to be in the Facebook app but it's totally optional, it's opt-in.
"If you want you can make a dating profile.. and your friend's aren't going to see your profile.
"You're only going to be suggested (to) people who are not your friends, who have opted into dating who fit your preferences", Mr Zuckerberg explained.
Mark Zuckerberg speaking at the F8 conference in California | Image: Facebook/Mark Zuckerberg
He also emphasized that the company had designed this feature with privacy and safety in mind.
"The bottom line is we want Facebook to be somewhere where you can start meaningful relationships, so we're excited to start rolling this out soon", he added.
A new 'Clear History' feature will also allow users delete their history on the site, similar to a 'clear browser history’ option on a web browser.
Users will be able to see information about apps and websites they have interacted with, clear that information from their account and be able to 'turn off' having this information stored with their account going forward.
