Facebook Says No To Advertiser Sponsored Accounts
Thanks to an update to Facebook's Statement of Rights and Responsibilities, there will be one less place for advertisers to encroach onto your private life: your friends' news feeds.
You also won't have to worry about being pitched multi-level marketing (MLM) schemes—or at least if you are pitched, you can remind the poster that he's breaking Facebook's rules.
From PC Magazine:
"You will not use your personal profile for your own commercial gain (such as selling your status update to an advertiser)," reads a new addition to the registration and account security section.
[...]
The new rules also ban unlawful multi-level marketing like pyramid schemes, as well as giveaways, sweepstakes, or contests that are conducted without the consent of Facebook.
We guess Facebook feels like if it can't figure out a way to make money off of your updates, you won't be able to either. Considering how annoying it would be to see advertiser-based messages mixed into a Facebook news feed, we're not exactly upset by the ban.
"Facebook Update Would Ban Sponsored Profiles" [PC Magazine]
Statement of Rights and Responsibilities [Facebook]
(Photo: ElvertBarnes)
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Comments:
This is nice. All my MLM dealing friends won't be spamming my news feed anymore. That and the affiliate marketing get rich quick friends will get shut down too.
So, they're reserving the MLM ad revenue for themselves, then.
I'd say that 60% of the ads I see on Facebook are for scams, MLM, and outright fraud. "Test this Black Macbook Air and you can keep it for free!"
Thank god. I'm way too busy learning what Depeche Mode song or third-string Sesame Street character my friends are to be bothered with a pyramid scheme pitch.
"We guess Facebook feels like if it can't figure out a way to make money off of your updates, you won't be able to either."
I love how you always find a way to put a negative spin on a positive article.
I was actually searching for a way to report an account for this - for the last week they have been spamming about monavie and trying to get people to sell it with them.
Does this mean the CC site mentioned earlier today will be deleted?
Over the past month or so, I have noticed that to get a coupon some big companies have demanded you "befriend" them. Since I have no other use for this phenomenon, I have resisted.
Bah!
Hmmm yeah this is defiantely a good thing. I had an advertising thing from one of my friends on facebook it was like "Wonna get Raped??? Click here! I click it and its just someone putting together an xbox 360 tournament. I already had my pants down.... False Advertising is a crime!
@Cant_stop_the_rock: "Consumerist...crushing dreams since 2005."
Of course, the owners of Facebook are gazillionaires, so it doesn't much matter.
I have a lot of faith in the belief that Facebook is trying not to be evil. Facebook users on the other hand...
@itsgene: I got by Black Macbook Air, but it didn't come with the black USB cables that I know Apple normally ships with it, so I'm going to sue them. Woot!
I hadn't even thought of whoring out my Facebook profile until they decided that I can't. I always miss the ability to whore out my digital assets...
@GiantMonster: I can't block the quiz applications fast enough now that the Greasemonkey script I was using to block them stopped working properly.
@Cant_stop_the_rock: As one of my friends once told me, "Laura, you could take a truck full of sugar and turn it into sour lemons."
I'm wondering how this affects me. I'm just starting out selling my photography work, and have posted up a few status updates about what's going on and upcoming stuff.
@michelsondl: Exactly. This could be bad to all of the people who link their small businesses and Etsy shops via Facebook.
@michelsondl: I was just wondering the same thing. How are artists, writers and other creative people going to market themselves if all the social networking sites make it impossible?
@menty666: I was wondering the exact same thing. I have friends who are in a band, for example, and they're always pitching their shows.
@GiantMonster: And that, GiantMonster, is why Facebook is not for adults. I have a Facebook account that is used for the strict purpose of sharing pictures and posting an update about where I am if I'm travelling abroad. But way too many "mature" and "non-teenagers-who-should-be-working-and-not-Facebooking-and-Twittering". The last thing I need to know is that the guy I sort of knew in college but wasn't really friends with, who tracked me down thanks to the alumni application, is most like Sophia from Golden Girls.
@HogwartsAlum: They'll use the next big thing and Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace will merge into MyFaceItter
@mariospants: i'd suggest your friends continue on as always, linking to etsy and band gigs, and if they get flagged by facebook, apologize, claim ignorance ("what? you didn't tell me the TOS changed! i promise i'll be good!"), get account reinstated, figure out new way to advertise (i hear that facebook has a relatively cheap advertisement rate. never looked in to it, though.)
Why would you friend someone that is spamming.
A classmate started spamming MLM crap. I de-friended him on Facebook.
Problem solved.
@gStein: it does sound a little heavy-handed of them, but I guess they must have built a grey area into the system.
Sweet, no more Zoe Life pitches!
Also, can't you just create a business page for your business activities?
@itsgene: You know, ever since I found the magic of facebook.com#DIV(id=sidebar_ads), I don't have to worry about those ads ...
I wonder what that means for folks that initiate their own giveaways. I sometimes set up a contest/give away to drive folks to my Etsy shop.
It's always been a kind of 'under the radar' sort of thing since if you want to promote a business you're supposed to have a business account. But by the same token self promotion isn't that rare (at least in my circles)
By the way my Etsy shop is.... just kidding.