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Is Facebook becoming Spambook? Apps can now demand your email address
Of course, you don't have to hand over your email address to any app, and they're required to send you through a series of dialog boxes making sure you've given them the go-ahead to have your information. That would be the end of the problem, except for one thing: Facebook is allowing apps to deny access to any user who doesn't hand over an email address.
With no alternative mode of sending out messages, I'm sure a lot of developers will gladly take advantage of this forced option. On top of that, the old on-site notifications were only allowed to bug you a certain number of times. With email, it's open season. Facebook has okayed developers to send you as many emails as they darn well feel like sending.
Disaster! It looks like Facebookers will be forced to choose between email privacy and their favorite apps. Facebook's proposed solution? Give the app a proxy email instead. That's certainly the alternative I'd go for if I were particularly attached to a Facebook app. What about you, DLS readers?
[via Washington Post]
Comments
11
Subscribe to commentsZerbeJan 21st 2010 11:32AM
IT is, I hate FB anymore, I've deactivated my account 2x now and I don't think I'll be reactivating it again. I've had it will all the causes, groups, fan crap, app spam, etc. It's annoying. I'm sorry, but I don't care about your cause, what I should become a fan of, or what stupid online game you want to play.
aanidaaniJan 21st 2010 9:52PM
Yeah, they also changed the privacy settings for "Recent Activity" so that you can't automatically hide your behavior anymore. Rather you have to tediously delete everything manually.
baxterJan 22nd 2010 5:57AM
Even if you Deactivate your Facebook account all of your information stays on it...
The only way to get rid of it is to permanently delete it.
The problem is they make it really hard to do that, but I found instructions here: http://www.groovypost.com/howto/security/permanently-delete-your-facebook-profile-account/
MiguelJan 21st 2010 1:03PM
It seems like Facebook doesn't know what they're doing. I don't use Facebook anymore and never used FB apps but this is only going to annoy users. It's obvious that Facebook is trying to alleviate the inbox and notifcation app spam with this move. However, this move isn't fixing the issue but merely sweeping it under the rug which is your own email inbox. I can honestly say email spam is much more annoying than an insignificant FB inbox.
sodapopJan 21st 2010 2:56PM
LOL demand versus request... Someone has a bias towards FB
sodapopJan 21st 2010 2:58PM
For the two above, all my frineds are on it and I am 41. My family is on it. My dad's family is on it. My mom's family is just warming up to it. FB is for the people. Ignore all the other stuff if you want. BTW Treasure Madness is a fun game.
JoshJan 21st 2010 3:20PM
Right. Even more reason to avoid any and all apps.
RichJan 21st 2010 3:46PM
Yet another reason to avoid FB. I will be the last person on the planet not to be on FB if I have anything to say about it.
8complexJan 21st 2010 4:33PM
Simple way around all that, stop using apps. I think I've blocked pretty much everything by now, I just use it for chit-chat and sharing pics, and that is about it.
Slashee the CowJan 21st 2010 6:04PM
Any app which thinks it NEEDS my email address isn't worth my time.
AaronTJan 21st 2010 11:44PM
Umm... so I won't be able to play FarmTown anymore without ponying up my email addy? WAAAHHH!
Who gives a crap about this? Anyone? Really? It's not "Facebook is screwing us again" here, people. It's that you're afraid you'll have to give up your email address if you want to play Mobsters.
Geez. Wake up. Go to hotmail.com. Make up a frikkin email address. Use that and never go back to check it. Don't you already do this for a 1001 things like this very site we're typing on right now?