InsideFacebook.com stories

Last month, Facebook suspended two Facebook Platform ad networks from operating on the Facebook Platform due to deceptive practices and bad user experience. The ad networks were allegedly presenting Facebook users with misleading advertisements inside third party applications (i.e. suggesting a user’s friends had taken an action when they hadn’t), and sometimes putting Facebook user data on outside landing pages in ways that violated Facebook’s privacy policy.

Since then, those ad networks have not served any ads on Platform applications as far as we’re aware, though other Facebook Platform ad networks have continued to use Facebook profile photos in their advertisements in acceptable ways. Nevertheless, rumors have been spreading in recent weeks that Facebook changed its policies to allow advertisers to incorporate Facebook users’ photos more liberally than they had been allowed to before. Today, Facebook issued the following statement to “debunk” those rumors:

The advertisements that started these rumors were not from Facebook but placed within applications by third parties. Those ads violated our policies by misusing profile photos, and we already required the removal of those deceptive ads from third-party applications before this rumor began spreading.

We are as concerned as many of you are about any potential threat to your experience on Facebook and the protection of your privacy. That’s why we prohibit ads on Facebook Platform that cause a bad user experience, are misleading, or otherwise violate our policies. Along with removing ads, we’ve recently prohibited two entire advertising networks from providing services to applications on Facebook Platform because they were not compliant with our policies and failed to correct their practices.

Facebook has always had a very open approach to third party ad networks on the Facebook Platform. Those ad networks are allowed to use friends’ photos in ads as long as the creative is not deceptive and does not violate Facebook’s privacy policies. While third party ad networks do sometimes cross the line, Facebook has shown that it is willing to take substantial punitive action to protect the long term viability of the ecosystem.

At the end of the day, Facebook wants the Facebook Platform to both be a safe place for users and offer developers large, sustainable monetization opportunities. The company has an important responsibility to monitor the ways that third party ad networks are incorporating user data, and at the same time wants to help developers figure out the best ways to monetize through Platform advertising. Ultimately, Facebook may need to either having a more stringent vetting process for third party ad networks doing business on the Facebook Platform or create additional privacy settings to give users the option to disallow any Platform ad networks from accessing their profile information.

It’s also worth noting that, separately, Facebook has incorporated user photos in Facebook Ads (the ads that run through Facebook’s own advertising system) for a long time. For example, see the thumbnail photos next to the home page ad at right. However, Facebook reiterates in its blog post that, “These social ads always require that you and your friends have taken an express action to indicate your connections with the product or service and that no data be shared with the third party.”

Facebook allows users to turn off this setting by going to their Privacy Settings page, choosing “News Feed and Wall,” and clicking the “Facebook Ads” tab.

Update: We asked Facebook for clarification about its policies regarding Platform ad networks and whether any changes were planned. According to Facebook’s Barry Schnitt:

We have a number of stated policies that are applicable here, including:

• The data section of the platform guidelines indicates that just because a developer gets access to user data doesn’t mean that they can use it
• Developers are not allowed to pass user data they get from FB to ad networks.
• Apps cannot break the law, and there are rights of publicity issues that come into play here. Facebook is granted permission in the terms to use a user’s photo in an ad but this permission does not extend to developers or ad networks.
• Not doing anything misleading (indicating a user has taken a quiz when they haven’t is misleading)

SRR 9.2 and 9.3 are also applicable:

• You will make it clear to users what user data you are going to use and how you will use, display, or share that data.
• You will not use, display, or share a user’s data in a manner inconsistent with the user’s privacy settings without the user’s consent.

Finally, we’re looking at additional policies that would more specifically address socially rich ads in Platform.

One month ago today, Facebook started testing a new version of the “publisher” that allows users to choose who can see their status updates and posts.  Unlike previous versions of the publisher, the new version puts significant emphasis on much more open sharing - for example, the first privacy option in the list is “everyone.”

While the new publisher - an important stepping stone toward the future of Facebook Search - is still under testing, Facebook’s research team is asking users how open they would describe themselves as being in recent surveys.

The first question in the two-question survey asks users how much they would agree with the statement “Facebook cares about its users’ privacy and security” on a scale from 1 to 5. The second question asks users to choose which of the following best describes themselves:

• Very open – I wouldn’t mind if everyone could see all of the information I share on Facebook
• In between – I don’t mind if everyone can see some of my information, but certain information I only want to share with my close friends or family
• Private – I only share things with people I know

While ultimately everyone falls somewhere “in between,” it’s possible that Facebook could use data it’s collecting to shift how far down the open side of the spectrum it goes with broader rollouts of the new pro-public-sharing publisher in the coming weeks and months. We wouldn’t be surprised to see Facebook take a more gradual approach, as some users are bound to misunderstand the new settings.

Ben Mezrich’s “The Accidental Billionaires,” the famously embellished story of Facebook’s early days, is coming to the big screen in a movie that will be produced by Kevin Spacey, Spacey told MTV yesterday. The film will be called “The Social Network” and may start shooting as soon as later this year.

It won’t be the first time Spacey has produced an adaptation based on a book by Mezrich, who Facebook VP of Global Communications and Public Policy Elliot Schrage says, “Clearly aspires to be the Jackie Collins or Danielle Steele of Silicon Valley.” Last year, Spacey produced “21,” based on Mezrich’s “Bringing Down the House,” the story of how MIT students gamed Vegas.

While Facebook’s founders probably won’t appreciate some of the liberties the film will take with Facebook’s history (Mark Zuckerberg refused to be interviewed for Mezrich’s book, preferring instead to work with David Kirkpatrick on his upcoming authorized story), it will mean that Facebook will be in the entertainment headlines and the topic of discussion around the watercooler even more as the film approaches.

“We’re at a very early stage,” Spacey said. “But I think it’s on the fast track. I think the film — they want to do it and maybe even do it this year. So it’s gonna happen. But I have no clue as to who may be in it, because ultimately that will be [up to] the director.”

With 250 million users, Facebook continues to grow by leaps and bounds. But despite the astronomical growth, some users still delete their accounts for one reason or another. However, Facebook is trying interesting tactics to keep users from leaving. Just when you go to your Account Settings and click on the “Deactivate Account” link, you are forced to think twice about your heartless decision:

How can you make the final move when brought face to face with all the wonderful photos you share together? It’s a clever approach to user retention that has worked well for virtual pets sites in the past (who often ask, “If you leave, who will take care of Fluffy??”). If you have a hard time leaving, you’re not the only one: time spent on Facebook only continues to rise.

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Back when Facebook opened the username registration process 5 weeks ago, it said at the time that once users chose a username, it would be theirs forever - no changes allowed. Today, however, Facebook has added a way for users to make a one-time username change.

Why the change in policy? Most likely, Facebook was getting a lot of customer service complaints from users who chose a username they weren’t happy with, and decided to give users a second chance. For example, there are cases like Logan Chandler, who probably wasn’t thinking about future job interviews when he chose his username, or Mike Pence, who chose his friend’s name (Obie Fernandez) as his own username as a practical joke. (Some users who chose trademarked usernames have also had their usernames revoked by Facebook at the request of the rights holders.)

Now, all you have to do to make your one-time username change is head over to the Facebook accounts settings page, where you’ll see this new section:

It will be interesting to see how central of a role Facebook usernames play in the future of Facebook identity. Currently, they play a relatively minor role (though they drive a lot of SEO for Facebook and Facebook Pages), but they could play a more prominent role in the future.

Vodafone will be offering one week of free access to Facebook for its UK mobile broadband service users as part of the provider’s “Free Friday” promotion series. The free access to Facebook is the first in the series to last an entire week instead of just one day, and it marks the launch of Facebook text alerts for Vodafone UK users.

Customers will be able to log in to their Facebook accounts on either their mobile phones or computers using Vodafone broadband service. Vodafone customers will also be able to upload photos and videos from their phones to Facebook, but standard messaging fees will still apply for these services.

Friday also marks the beginning of Facebook text alerts. Customers can receive SMS alerting them when someone pokes them, adds them as a friend, sends them a message or writes on their wall - the usual Facebook text alerts. Facebook continues to work with mobile carriers to roll out support for its SMS services - just last week, T-Mobile launched Facebook SMS alerts to customers in the United States.

The Free Friday series was launched in May, when Vodafone offered free mobile internet access to customers for one day. Last month, customers received one free day of music downloads to mark the company’s launch of DRM free music. With the new Facebook campaign running for one week, Vodafone is giving their customers time to get used to using Facebook on their mobile devices, so it’s more likely they’ll continue using the service when normal fees apply.

With Facebook’s growth amongst users over 35 (and over 55), family applications have been doing very well on the Facebook Platform. In fact, just this week, FamilyLink.com announced that its popular Facebook application We’re Related has reached 50 million registered users after seeing substantial growth over the last six months. The app helps Facebook users connect with relatives to share information and photos, and has seen the largest influx of people in the 45-54 demographic, which mirrors recent trends in overall Facebook use.

“We are excited about the growing user base and especially about the activity of the users,” said Jason McGowan, Chief Social Officer for FamilyLink.com. “As the number of We’re Related users grows, so does the number of connections people are making to their families, now surpassing 300 million.”

We’re Related has been extremely popular for a while, remaining in the top 10 Facebook applications for more than a year. The application identifies relatives in users’ networks, and recommends people that may also be in users’ family trees. Once a connection is established, family members can share stories and photos. Information is kept private among a designated list of relatives.

The largest number of new users is coming from Facebook members 35 and up, with 45-54-year-old users representing the quickest-growing demographic. FamilyLink.com reports seeing this age group tripling in size over the last six months. This isn’t surprising, as overall Facebook usage is starting to skew more towards this age group, possibly due to younger users being out of school for the summer, or migrating towards newer social media outlets like Twitter.

It’s also to be expected that the services offered by We’re Related would appeal to the 45-54 demographic. Many of these users are joining Facebook for the sole purpose of staying in touch with their children, and to share photos and news of relatives that may not be local. Genealogy has always been a big business on the internet, and FamilyLink.com offers a free alternative to expensive pay-for-research sites when looking for relatives or studying a family tree. In fact, FamilyLink.com recently conducted a survey which revealed 40% of We’re Related users noted the application’s services as major factors in their decisions to join Facebook.

“Facebook has always been a personal tool for managing relationships,” said McGowan. “We’re Related fits that context perfectly. We are looking forward to future growth, continual innovation, and offering new functionality to our loyal users.”

With over 3.6 million fans, Starbucks has just passed Coca-Cola to become the the most popular brand on Facebook. How? A good combination of a well-done Facebook Page, fun promotions for fans, and effective Facebook home page Engagement Ads. In fact, Starbucks gained nearly 200,000 Facebook fans this week alone.

As you can see below, Starbucks saw some significant spikes on July 18 and July 21, when the company was running its Free Pastry giveaway. Fans who printed out this invitation could redeem a free pastry with the purchase of any beverage. Consumers love coupons - and Starbucks is loving its increasing Facebook reach.

Starbucks does not fall into the category of run-of-the-mill social media marketing. Earlier this month, the company gave away free ice cream through its Facebook application. In May, Starbucks put up new advertising posters is six cities, asking people to spot them, take photos, and post them on Twitter. And on Election Day, Starbucks released its Starbucks Vote Commercial on YouTube announcing that coffee would be on them for everyone who voted.

Starbucks now leads all public profiles in the Retail category, according to PageData. Following Starbucks as this week’s top Facebook Page gainers in the Retail category is Levis, which saw a gain of 72,474 fans, representing a 178 percent weekly growth rate. Accompanying Starbucks and Levis in the Top 20 also include The Cheesecake Factory (#4), Anthropologie (#7), Whole Foods Market (#10), and Gymboree (#20).

Facebook Page Leaderboard - Retail (Gainers This Week) Name Fans Gain Gain, % 1. Starbucks Coffee Company 3,657,887 +190,561 +5.50 2. Levis 113,260 +72,474 +177.69 3. Newegg.com 45,052 +34,414 +323.50 4. The Cheesecake Factory 88,643 +28,356 +47.04 5. 7-eleven 113,966 +4,740 +4.34 6. The Blue Groove 15,216 +3,996 +35.61 7. Anthropologie 21,557 +3,272 +17.89 8. Target 467,875 +3,049 +0.66 9. Staples 11,532 +2,649 +29.82 10. Whole Foods Market 100,811 +2,304 +2.34 11. Surfer Girl Bali 16,389 +2,138 +15.00 12. GUESS? Inc. 85,844 +1,927 +2.30 13. PacSun 87,006 +1,919 +2.26 14. aerie by american eagle 141,384 +1,718 +1.23 15. JCP Teen 9,888 +1,688 +20.59 16. JCPenney 18,434 +1,638 +9.75 17. lululemon athletica 54,256 +1,605 +3.05 18. Sheetz 33,076 +1,567 +4.97 19. Nordstrom, Inc. 12,956 +1,383 +11.95 20. Gymboree 26,074 +1,243 +5.01

Facebook’s 250 million users upload 1 billion photos and 10 million videos to the site each month. Now, Facebook’s just made the uploading process even easier: starting today, all users can email their photos and videos to Facebook from any email client and they’ll be automatically posted to your profile.

Here’s how it works:

1. First, go to Facebook Mobile and get your personal upload email address. You won’t want to give this out, because it’s used for posting content just to your profile. Once you get this address, add it to your address book on whichever mail clients you use, especially your mobile phone.
2. To upload photos or videos to Facebook, just send them as email attachments to this address. Facebook will use the subject line of the email you sent as the caption for the photos and videos you upload (the same caption will be used for all of them if you send in more than one). You can of course edit these later by logging into Facebook.

Facebook says there’s no limit on their end to how many photos or videos you can send in at once - you’re only limited by your own email provider. All uploaded photos will go to the “Mobile Upload” photo album by default, and will follow the privacy settings the user has specified for it.

Overall, this is a good move by Facebook that should continue to grow the amount of content being uploaded and shared through Facebook. The feature has been popular in other online sharing services like Tumblr and TwitPic for quite a while, as well as some versions of Facebook’s mobile site. As a side note, iPhone 3GS users will soon be able to upload videos directly using the forthcoming Facebook for iPhone 3.0.

It seems like only yesterday that we wondered when mainstream game developers would start making the move to social. For a long time, Electronic Arts has been slowly lumbering forward into the social gaming world, but as the company experimented more and more with the space, we’ve begun to see more big names jump into the frey.

At E3, announcements from Microsoft and Nintendo unveiled the integration of Facebook Connect into Xbox Live and Nintendo DSI. Now, French publisher Ubisoft - producer of titles like Assassin’s Creed, Splinter Cell, and Rainbow Six - has released its first Facebook game, TickTock…

>> Read more at Inside Social Games