Facebook disables a number of applications

A recent rise in complaints on application spam made Facebook spring into action by disabling a number of developer applications. The problem many developers are saying is they weren’t warned of the action.

Developer applications were removed

Facebook has provided an interface for developers to access many of the social media features that the social networking giant provides. Developers could create applications that range from quizzes, games and any number of topics. These applications, however, are not always vetted through Facebook resulting in some that are less than virtuous.

Recent spikes in spam complaints caused Facebook to begin systematically shutting down applications that were reported to high amounts of posts to user walls. This mostly affected smaller companies and applications and others with millions of users such as Zynga were looked over.

Businesses should use caution on Facebook

Facebook certainly has a viable market – 750 million strong – but be aware that you don’t own anything that is on the giant’s site. Applications could be shut down at any time without warning, and this same rule goes for your personal account, business page and so on. Functionality that once existed on Facebook can be changed at any point as well. For instance, pages have changed multiple times in the last year including the use of iFrames for adding features within your FB page.

What if your application was disabled?

Facebook released a statement apologizing for its sudden actions, but did provide some explanation. Some new features will be rolled out such as Application Insights, a new analytics tool to monitor user feedback and may provide some warning before an application is shut down.

In the meantime, developers can appeal the decision. Some applications have been restored but most have not. This is  a very real risk when doing the majority of your business on Facebook, and I hold firm in my stance that the social giant should be used as an extension or feature of your online web presence and business and not your whole business.