Email
RSS
Twitter
Facebook
Another Big App Disappears: This Time, It’s Social Me
July 1st, 2008
Five days ago, the Facebook Platform policy team made waves throughout the developer community by suspending Slide’s Top Friends application, the third largest application by daily active users, for a privacy violation of the Developer Terms of Service.
Tonight, it appears that another Top 25 Facebook app has disappeared from the Platform as well: Social Me, normally with over 280,000 daily active users, is showing the same signs that Top Friends did a few days ago:
- Going to the Social Me app page redirects to the Facebook home page
- Searching the application directory for “Social Me” yields nothing
- The Social Me box is missing from all profile pages
If two’s a coincidence and three’s a trend, then the disappearance of Social Me tonight should raise all developers’ eyebrows. Several of Social Me developer SocialHi.com’s other applications have gone missing as well. If this turns out to be another case of application suspensions due to user privacy concerns, then Facebook is definitely making a statement with its actions. We’ll have more soon.
Update: Social Me has indeed also been suspended from the Facebook Platform due to privacy violations. According to Facebook, “The Top Friends and Social Me applications have been temporarily suspended by Facebook due to their violations of Facebook’s privacy policies.”
|
Download The Guide to Marketing Your Brand, Company, Product, or Service Inside Facebook
Inside Facebook analyzes 12 major Facebook marketing efforts from leading brands. Who comes out on top?
Italian / Italiano
Strategic Facebook Platform Ecosystem Overview and Guide For Agencies & Brands
Track Facebook's International Growth in 95 Global Markets with our Monthly Reports
July 2nd, 2008 at 2:24 am
this is good I guess… too bad Slide didn’t own this one too!
July 2nd, 2008 at 2:41 am
when social me will come back on facebook ?
July 2nd, 2008 at 2:48 am
Well, this was 1st of July…
Today 2nd of July one more app Compare HOTNESS is also banned.
No search result, no links, no boxes, nothing. What’s even more disturbing, FB hasn’t bothered to inform anyone anywhere.
Let’s see what’s next…
(Funnily enough, the reviews by users are still available, all 25 pages of them)
July 2nd, 2008 at 3:38 am
I’m really relieved that Facebook is so consciencious about user privacy. So important, esp. in this day and age.
I do hope the Social Me app returns though, as it is unique and fun, and I’ve made some new international friends.
Thanks.
July 2nd, 2008 at 4:49 am
I too love this app, I’ve made a few friends on Social me too from all over the globe, I hope they get it sorted and back on FB soon, I need my fix!!
July 2nd, 2008 at 5:20 am
‘violation of Facebook privacy policies’
Instead of banning these popular applications
Remove the wall applications - we all know they going to kill them when the new profile launches!!!! - knowing coward facebook development citing privacy LOL
also instead of going on the ‘privacy’ wagon all the time why not shift there efforts under the ‘help the user’ policy (by having applications merging together (e.g. all the hugs, pillow fights etc)
July 2nd, 2008 at 5:33 am
facebook really need to disclose the reason for their actions to their membership.
I agree those apps were good fun ways of meeting ppl.
Could it be facebook want to charge ppl with a similar new app?
July 2nd, 2008 at 7:08 am
[...] Read the full Inside Facebook report here : Another Big App Disappears [...]
July 2nd, 2008 at 8:08 am
On the one hand, yes, relieved FB is taking action, but on the other — totally unacceptable that FB is silent.
Wtf is going on? Privacy violations are serious, and i want to know what has or might have happened.
July 2nd, 2008 at 8:41 am
[...] around they’ve picked off the 24th most active application on the platform, Social Me. As Justin Smith writes., “If two’s a coincidence and three’s a trend, then the disappearance of Social Me [...]
July 2nd, 2008 at 8:51 am
this is totally screwed social me was a fun site to tag people on just for laughs why they do this is a joke they should just send a warning out if there are problems and if people like they should choose to remove the app or not its so wrong
July 2nd, 2008 at 11:23 am
Why, probably the best application on FB. oh well no one can call me happy anymore!
July 2nd, 2008 at 12:27 pm
It is great that FB is taking steps for privacy. What concerns me is how much data has SocialHi already obtained, and how are they going to use it? If they use it in any other way than agreed to in the TOS, then there is a strong possibility of a Class Action Law Suit for FaceBook and SocialHi. Which would be a good idea to ensure privacy down the road.
July 2nd, 2008 at 12:49 pm
Wow. People seem so upset about the missing app. I noticed one thing I was concerned about; when people sent notes, the email notification of this included BOTH their names.
I too am wondering what, if any of my information was divulged. Kind of nerve-racking. Most people are friendly, good people, but I did get some really vulgar and scarey tags and notes. One guy soliciting women to view his naked pictures web-site. Creepy.
I’m really glad FB is taking action. I’m sure it’ll be up and running before we know it. And maybe, while they’re at it, they can get rid of some of the not-so-nice tags like ‘Ridiculous’ and come up with some more creative nice ones.
July 2nd, 2008 at 1:42 pm
The ‘breasts’ fan page has gone too.. looks like the mammary gland has once again appeared and offended. Meanwhile, ‘dope wars’ application is thriving.
July 2nd, 2008 at 2:27 pm
Is there any way of getting your messages from social me. I have no way of tracing someone who I was messaging?
July 2nd, 2008 at 5:37 pm
with the lack of censorship on FaceBook it does make one wonder what the rulebook really is.
July 3rd, 2008 at 9:49 am
Please joing the FaceBook group:
Bring back “Social Me”
this is really beginning to annoy me now, what are they playing at????
July 3rd, 2008 at 11:40 am
Ok Facebook has removed “socialme”. So what has happened to the photos and messages I posted? They could have at least put a notification out to say that it was being withdrawn. I made several friends and have no way of contacting them now. Thanks Facebook
July 3rd, 2008 at 11:48 am
It appears it shall not be coming back. An official email was sent stating this. Shame as it was a great application which I had only used for a mere few hours before it was deleted.
July 3rd, 2008 at 1:16 pm
I am disgusted we were not informed this was going to happen. I for one have lost contact with friends made on the 2 sites…..So thanks facebook for that…..i feel i may have to look elsewhere now………You could have given us warning then we could have made alternative arrangements for contact…..:(
:( 
July 4th, 2008 at 1:42 pm
[...] provide a very good explanation other than “they are violating the Terms of Service”. Justin Smith of InsideFacebook mentioned just a few days ago that the “Social Me” App was also removed recently for similar [...]
July 4th, 2008 at 10:41 pm
Well, this is so bad, first of all they banned it without warning and now it takes too long time to bring it back if they will. this is so disturbing
July 5th, 2008 at 2:37 pm
By removing such a valuable application and upsetting so many, i think its fair to say that Facebook has bitten the hand that feeds it! Fair enough, some issues raised needed dealing with.. but surely not in this unprofessional and inconsiderate way so as to punish its own valued members?? Put Social Me back up!! and get your thinking caps on before you lose all credibility.. and a huge slice of your members!
July 5th, 2008 at 8:34 pm
I loved Social Me, even with the creepy 40something guys who would hit on me. I actually met my boyfriend because of the app! (Seriously!) I hope that instead of writing it off as unsalvageable they can work out the kinks in the program and give it back to the addicts out there….Every time I check my FB now I feel like I’m missing something since I can’t see who has tagged me. Sigh.
July 6th, 2008 at 7:59 am
I know.. I miss it too!! Something is really lacking now in my daily FB routine…
I miss the friends I’ve made on SocialMe!! They should have given us a warning… I met this really cute guy 1 day before they pulled it and now he’s lost ;(
July 6th, 2008 at 1:08 pm
A penalty for creating a social network within a social network perhaps. SocialMe was my fav app
July 6th, 2008 at 3:20 pm
I love Social Me and am totally gutted that it has gone. (I had top friends app too but hadn’t realised that had also been withdrawn!!!) Hope they bring it back. Have no problems with them increasing the privacy thing but I think it was a great fun way to meet people.
July 7th, 2008 at 2:07 am
[...] Last week it was Slide’s Top Friends App, which it briefly suspended. Later Facebook also suspended another popular app, Social [...]
July 7th, 2008 at 3:40 pm
[...] Last week it was Slide’s Top Friends App, which it briefly suspended. Later Facebook also suspended another popular app, Social [...]
July 8th, 2008 at 4:44 pm
it has some serious security bugs that could expose the whole facebook database to hackers. it was very critical to suspend it immediately to avoid those out there who look for chances to file lawsuits and screw facebook..
July 10th, 2008 at 1:02 am
when will social me be back!!!! we need an answear please!!!!
July 10th, 2008 at 7:12 pm
I really liked social me. It was one of the most interesting apps on facebook. Hope it comes back soon.
July 11th, 2008 at 2:00 am
Best app. Now that the socialme is gone, there is nothing happening in my facebook :(. Met lots of great people over that app and now they are all gone. Bring the Social Me back online…
July 14th, 2008 at 2:21 pm
facebook was starting to bore me with all the crap and then out off the blue came social me!!! a great application!! that turned it all around i was logging on to check out what tags i had and what messages and friends!!! i have lost all that info now and feel cheated by facebook i give it a week and then i am quitiing facebook!! for good !!!
July 15th, 2008 at 7:58 pm
Hey! SocialMe and Compare Hotness are back!
Just noticed them back on my leftnav.
They’re great hookup apps (what else do people want?) - hope everyone gets their contacts back too.
July 16th, 2008 at 12:54 am
[...] a 14 day suspension from Facebook for violating Facebook’s privacy policies, popular flirting application Social [...]
July 16th, 2008 at 12:27 pm
[...] Me is another Facebook application that was recently banned, and more recently reinstated. I’m not sure exactly why they were banned to start with, but [...]
July 18th, 2008 at 10:54 pm
Yes guys, app has been restored by FaceBook. Cheers!
July 25th, 2008 at 1:08 am
[...] 1st, Social Me, a top 25 Facebook app, also disappeared from the platform. Compare Hotness, another SocialHi app, [...]
August 30th, 2008 at 1:29 pm
[...] Last week it was Slide’s Top Friends App, which it briefly suspended. Later Facebook also suspended another popular app, Social [...]
February 15th, 2009 at 12:40 pm
Social Me is also my favorite application on FaceBook