Facebook (NASDAQ:FB) is coming under increasing fire for its dating site discrimination policy. As the largest database of people’s relationship status on the planet, Facebook has a unique position when it comes to being able to target single people. It is common practice for Facebook users to keep their relationship status updated when any change occurs. This makes it the perfect place to put an ad for a small dating site, hoping to gain some extra business when your relationship status changes.
Large and well known dating companies such as Zoosk, eHarmony, and Match.com are still advertising heavily on Facebook, but smaller boutique style dating websites are being excluded, despite having hundreds of thousands of dollars budgeted for advertising. The issue stems from a policy introduced by Facebook in 2013, that stated that Facebook is not taking new dating site clients. It will only deal with dating site clients that have a pre-existing relationship with Facebook, and who follow Facebooks rules on tasteful ads.
Facebook then introduced a ban on small dating site advertising in January that was supposed to be lifted after Valentine’s Day when Facebook would review the policy. Instead, Facebook extended the ban indefinitely. This means that small sites like CatholicChristians.com and HiDine.com, dating sites focused on Catholic singles and restaurant lovers respectively, are being excluded from advertising on Facebook.
Facebook’s own sales people are also clueless as to why the ban is in effect. All they know is that the instructions came from Facebook management. Smaller dating sites are now planning to band together in order to gain more traction with Facebook, and force it to allow their sites to advertise again.
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