Facebook has come under fire a lot lately for its policies on privacy. The social networking giant is also making a lot of waves with companies who want to use their platform for third party apps, software, and other features. According to a report from TechCrunch, Netlog, the European social network, has now been banned from Facebook. The reason is for violating Facebook’s Terms of Service, but it’s not clear what the violation was.
Over 1.5 million Netlog users tried to use Facebook Connect to log into their Netlog accounts on Tuesday. However, the users found themselves locked out. Some analysts believe that Netlog violated a policy that specifically states that third party companies cannot promote, link, redirect, or integrate to any applications on a competing social network. However, Netlog hasn’t built any redirecting applications even though it was something their considered.
A spokesperson for Facebook told TechCrunch, “Netlog took extensive steps to access internal Facebook APIs and deliberately compromised intended limitations of our platform. We took appropriate and necessary steps to protect people on Facebook.” In another statement, a Facebook spokesperson said, “Netlog took extensive steps to access internal Facebook APIs and deliberately compromised intended limitations of our platform. We took appropriate and necessary steps to protect people on Facebook.”
Massive Media, which owns Netlog, said that they are not aware of any wrongdoing when it came to Facebook or its Terms of Service, including any intentional unlawful activity; however, the company has refrained from making any more statements at this time. There are reports that Massive Media is considering filing a complaint with the European Commission over “anti-competitive actions.”
Netlog does have too much recognition in the U.S., but it has nearly 80 million users from the Middle East and Europe. This would not be the first time that such a complaint was lodged against the social networking mogul.
