Looks like Facebook is facing a really nasty lawsuit

[Loren Pechtel]

https://www.revealnews.org/article/...e-playing-kids-and-their-parents-out-of-money

Sounds like someone found a smoking gun.

 

[Rhea]

What’s in the article? What’s the law suit about?

 

[Arctish]

What’s in the article? What’s the law suit about?

Facebook encouraged game developers to let children spend money without their parents’ permission – something the social media giant called “friendly fraud” – in an effort to maximize revenues, according to a document detailing the company’s game strategy.

Sometimes the children did not even know they were spending money, according to another internal Facebook report. Facebook employees knew this. Their own reports showed underage users did not realize their parents’ credit cards were connected to their Facebook accounts and they were spending real money in the games, according to the unsealed documents.

For years, the company ignored warnings from its own employees that it was bamboozling children.

A team of Facebook employees even developed a method that would have reduced the problem of children being hoodwinked into spending money, but the company did not implement it, and instead told game developers that the social media giant was focused on maximizing revenues.

When parents found out how much their children had spent – one 15-year-old racked up $6,500 in charges in about two weeks playing games on Facebook – the company denied requests for refunds. Facebook employees referred to these children as “whales” – a term borrowed from the casino industry to describe profligate spenders. A child could spend hundreds of dollars a day on in-game features such as arming their character with a flaming sword or a new magic spell to defeat an enemy – even if they didn’t realize it until the credit card bill arrived.

Outraged parents were forced to turn to the Better Business Bureau, their credit card companies or even the courts to get their money back.

The revenue Facebook earned off children had such large chargeback rates – a process in which the credit card company is forced to step in and claw back money on behalf of parents – that it far exceeded what the Federal Trade Commission has said is a red flag for deceptive business practices.

They've got documentation by way of internal company memos and employee emails. Facebook's got some 'splaining to do.

 

[barbos]

A kid spends $6k on games and these people think they can get away with it.
These people need their heads checked out.

 

[Angry Floof]

I expect it won't be long before we see legislation around manipulative marketing tactics through games, and not just blatant stuff involving kids. Marketers know more about us and how we make decisions than we ourselves do. That's a massive level of power that must be questioned and held accountable.

 

[GenesisNemesis]

I expect it won't be long before we see legislation around manipulative marketing tactics through games, and not just blatant stuff involving kids. Marketers know more about us and how we make decisions than we ourselves do. That's a massive level of power that must be questioned and held accountable.

Perhaps Facebook is attempting to manipulate you into buying Phosphorous.

 

[Angry Floof]

I expect it won't be long before we see legislation around manipulative marketing tactics through games, and not just blatant stuff involving kids. Marketers know more about us and how we make decisions than we ourselves do. That's a massive level of power that must be questioned and held accountable.

Perhaps Facebook is attempting to manipulate you into buying Phosphorous.

Nope, that's Russians, not Facebook.

 

[barbos]

I expect it won't be long before we see legislation around manipulative marketing tactics through games, and not just blatant stuff involving kids. Marketers know more about us and how we make decisions than we ourselves do. That's a massive level of power that must be questioned and held accountable.

Perhaps Facebook is attempting to manipulate you into buying Phosphorous.

it took me a while to suspect this is a reference to some kind of item in these stupid games, am I correct?

 

[barbos]

I expect it won't be long before we see legislation around manipulative marketing tactics through games, and not just blatant stuff involving kids. Marketers know more about us and how we make decisions than we ourselves do. That's a massive level of power that must be questioned and held accountable.

I have a better idea - Excise Tax on flaming swords and Phosphorous.

 

[Angry Floof]

I expect it won't be long before we see legislation around manipulative marketing tactics through games, and not just blatant stuff involving kids. Marketers know more about us and how we make decisions than we ourselves do. That's a massive level of power that must be questioned and held accountable.

Perhaps Facebook is attempting to manipulate you into buying Phosphorous.

it took me a while to suspect this is a reference to some kind of item in these stupid games, am I correct?

Yep. In one game, there's a voice that shouts "Phosphorous!" whenever phosphorous falls out of the trees. I didn't know what it meant at first and thought it was a new slang for "cool!" or something.

Anyway, I don't give Facebook or Russian game developers any money.

 

[Elixir]

Good to hear about someone trying to hold their feet to the fire.
Facebook is such a crap platform anyhow, I wouldn't miss them if the whole rotten operation was shut down.

 

[Angry Floof]

Good to hear about someone trying to hold their feet to the fire.
Facebook is such a crap platform anyhow, I wouldn't miss them if the whole rotten operation was shut down.

The problem with Facebook is that they spent a great deal on luring everyone into using it for so many things that are meaningful to the users. I have ten years of memories and connections on Facebook. Some people use it for business. Facebook intended it to be this way. Just because it's free doesn't mean everyone can just up and leave it easily. It's time they made good on their promises and gave users what was advertised, safely and securely, and I hope it costs them dearly.

 

[Elixir]

The problem with Facebook is that they spent a great deal on luring everyone into using it for so many things that are meaningful to the users. I have ten years of memories and connections on Facebook. Some people use it for business. Facebook intended it to be this way. Just because it's free doesn't mean everyone can just up and leave it easily. It's time they made good on their promises and gave users what was advertised, safely and securely, and I hope it costs

You can say THAT again!

 

[Angry Floof]

The problem with Facebook is that they spent a great deal on luring everyone into using it for so many things that are meaningful to the users. I have ten years of memories and connections on Facebook. Some people use it for business. Facebook intended it to be this way. Just because it's free doesn't mean everyone can just up and leave it easily. It's time they made good on their promises and gave users what was advertised, safely and securely, and I hope it costs

You can say THAT again!

No idea what the hell happened there! Editing.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

What’s in the article? What’s the law suit about?

I didn't bother with the details as the URL said enough.