A cynical person (and/or someone who’s tired of zombies and sheep) might argue that Facebook should ban all applications. The social network hasn’t gone that far, but for the sake of users’ privacy, it has at least shown an encouraging willingness to restrict the things.
First Top Friends disappeared, and Social Me suffered the same fate. Now there are reports that some of Super Wall’s features have been suspended, and as a result, the app’s number of daily active users decreased by about 75 percent.
Top Friends App
Supposed problems range from security holes to spammy invitations. Michael Arrington writes, “One thing is clear in all this: Facebook is serious about slapping down app developers who go too far in their efforts to grab new users.”
Facebook’s not trying to put app companies like Slide and RockYou out of business, however. Top Friends was allowed to return after a quick fix and a voluntary third-party audit, according to Nicholas Carlson.
So it seems that Facebook’s trying to protect users without unfairly punishing developers. Hitting a popular balance may be difficult (or impossible), but this is at least a sign that everyone’s views are being considered. Since both advertisers and a few individuals backed away after Beacon launched, that’s an important step.
