Facebook has gone too far this time – and five Facebook users filled a Class Action Lawsuit last year to stop them.
Just seven minutes ago (as I typed this), the Chicago Tribune reported that the judge hearing the Facebook Sponsored Stories Class Action has recused herself one day before she was supposed to hold a hearing on the proposed settlement – and gave no reason for withdrawing.
What’s Wrong with Facebook Sponsored Stories
There is a HUGE difference between “liking” a brand’s Facebook page and having your image inserted into an explicit endorsement of a brand or product!
Reasons that a Facebook user may have “liked” a brand range from an incentive they wanted to get such as a coupon or discount to just being curious and wanting to revisit that subject.
The greatest issue is that individual people MUST be allowed
to opt out and how to do that needs to be obvious.
Facebook Sponsored Stories Video
When being featured for liking generated the Sponsored Stories Class Action, Facebook focused instead on check-ins. This short video explains how that works:
Example Facebook Sponsored Story Ads:
I’d like to know what YOU think about this. Please take our poll (below). You may check more than one box.
I hope you will participate in our poll so we know what YOU are thinking. Research shows that recommendations from friends are one of the strongest factors in making a purchase.
We all need to be aware of how implied endorsements that really are NOT recommendations may affect our buying decisions.
While some have reported that Facebook IS going to allow Opt-outs
due to the Class Action Suit, the Facebook help center currently still
says you can NOT opt out of Facebook Sponsored Stories.
Does anyone else remember back around 2008 when Facebook had giant banner ads saying “SoandSo challenged YOU to beat their IQ score” etc etc. It was all just like based false advertising. Nothings changed except the ads are smaller..
Hi Jenny,
Yes, I remember those and now I’m wondering what other “invitations” connections supposedly sent were actually automated and not really from them. I never checked into them because I don’t play games.
Did you notice, Jenny? Social Implications now has CommentLuv installed! Yeah!
Facebook evolves from the moment it starts. Until now, the makers of Facebook still upgrade their perspectives in order to give the best for the users. And as of December 15, 2011, a Timeline is the new virtual space in which all the content of Facebook users will be organized and shown. In Timeline, there is the so called Facebook Cover Photo in every Facebook Profile. Replacing the Facebook Profile, in a Timeline the photos, videos and posts of any given user will be categorized according to the period of time in which they were uploaded or created.