Facebook's new app developing team NPE has announced its new relationship-inspired app "Tuned" promising couples a special experience, but can it be successful in the conservative societies of the Middle East?
Facebook has launched an app for couples called Tuned that will allow them to build a digital scrapbook https://t.co/v4dwZPINe7
— SkyNews (@SkyNews) April 8, 2020
Presenting couples with an extremely cool-sweet interface, the new application serves as a private space in a scrapbook format, through which individuals can share their emotions, moods, text messages, voice memos, and images.
Additionally, the app allows users to link their shared account to a Spotify playlist so they can listen to music together. Unlike other similar applications, Tuned reportedly doesn't include a shared calendar through which couples can sync their daily schedules and be informed of each others' tasks.
NPE pointed out that Tuned is only part of an experiment that is yet to determine how successful the application can be. So far, it's only available on iOS devices to residents of North America.
While this application might not be very interesting for couples who live together, it can sure come in handy for those involved in long-distance relationships, to allow for better communication on both ends.
Yet, the new application didn't seem to impress lots of social media users, who suggested that it's hard for them to trust it with personal and intimate information and images, after knowing that Tuned follows the same privacy policy adapted by Facebook's other text messaging applications.
So @Facebook just launched their app for couples called Tuned. It claims to be a “private” space, yet it follows Facebook’s general, overall privacy policy.
— Omid Majdi (@omid_majdi) April 8, 2020
How has no one been talking about Facebook’s “private” vs. “privacy” problem? Well, I’ll start...
This concern is especially important in Middle Eastern counties, where privacy holds an even bigger significance within Arab conservative societies.
People might be extra reluctant to share private information especially images with their partners if they suspect it will be used by third-parties. Given Facebook's history of privacy issues, couples will sure be careful before using it.
Past experiences have proven that Middle Eastern social media users are generally less trusting of technology when it comes to their private lives, which explains why many Twitter and Facebook users still hesitate to share their personal photos or family-related information, in fear of it being used to exploit them or their family members.
Considering that other similar applications such as SimplyUs and Between haven't been trending in the Middle East, in spite of their stronger privacy history, Tuned developers and creators will have to provide a different privacy policy; one that is much more strict, in addition to groundbreaking features that can't be found in other platforms.
In order for it to become hard to resist, Tuned can also consider offering high-quality voice and video calls, shared online streaming services for couples to watch their favorite shows or movies together, and interactive games that are only available through the application.
