Facebook Bans Account-Killing Social Roulette App

[Andy Chalk]

Facebook Bans Account-Killing Social Roulette App

A Russian Roulette-style app that had a one-in-six chance of deleting a player's Facebook account was a little too much for the social network to bear.

We all know how Russian Roulette works, right? A revolver with a single bullet; spin the cylinder, put it to your head, pull the trigger and hope nothing happens. I don't think it actually qualifies as anyone's idea of "fun" (except perhaps for North Vietnamese prison guards) but for a very short while, Social Roulette let you do basically the same thing with your Facebook account.

The app offered players who pulled the virtual trigger one-in-six odds that their Facebook account would be entirely deleted; hitting an empty chamber would post a message on your wall saying you'd played and survived (and encouraging others to give it a try) but losers - or winners, depending on how you look at it - would apparently have their "posts, friends, apps, likes, photos and games" deleted, and their accounts deactivated.

"Everyone talks about deleting their Facebook account, but we rarely take action. Sometimes we need a simple game to help take the responsibility off our shoulders, and provide a moment for reflection," co-creator Kyle McDonald told TechCrunch. "Social Roulette is more of a provocation rather than a tool."

Unfortunately for those seeking abdication of personal responsibility or cheap digital thrills, Facebook very quickly pulled the plug on the whole thing. "It took us four hours to create the project, and it took another four hours after the launch for Facebook to respond by blocking the API key and restricting our ability to create Facebook applications," McDonald explained. "The app was flagged by an automated system for 'creating a negative user experience'." Facebook also took issue with Social Roulette's logo, a from-behind view of a revolver cylinder loaded with a single Facebook "F."

There's some question as to precisely which Facebook policy Social Roulette violates but whatever the specifics may be, users can no longer log in with their Facebook accounts, which means the game is over. Not necessarily forever, though; McDonald said he's working with Facebook "to address this and other issues and expects a return to normal service some time this week."

Source: TechCrunch [http://techcrunch.com/2013/05/13/social-roulette-deletes-your-facebook-account/]


Permalink

 

[Falterfire]

I think there's a more interesting lesson to be learned here: A Facebook App could theoretically delete all of your info. I'm now imagining somebody making a just-interesting-enough Facebook game, getting lots of people playing, and then shredding every account that's subscribed just for the giggles. Or, worse, somebody taking over an existing one and shredding all of those.

Not sure that's possible since I haven't tinkered with the Roulette game to see how many times you have to click "Yeah, shred my account, I don't care" before Facebook hands them permission to do that, but I'm still curious.

 

[Zer0Saber]

I see nothing wrong with people who want to play.

 

[Covarr]

I think there's a more interesting lesson to be learned here: A Facebook App could theoretically delete all of your info. I'm now imagining somebody making a just-interesting-enough Facebook game, getting lots of people playing, and then shredding every account that's subscribed just for the giggles. Or, worse, somebody taking over an existing one and shredding all of those.

If they really want to do this, they'd have to get the necessary permissions well in advance, and then attack late enough that people won't remember having given said permissions. Waiting to attack makes it much more difficult to identify the attacker.

P.S. Thanks

 

[Azuaron]

I'd play it.

Of course, I'm almost never on Facebook, so...

 

[Aeshi]

Doesn't the deletion of a Facebook account take several months, during which going to any webpage with Facebook on it resets it? Did they find a way to bypass that?

 

[excalipoor]

I fucking hate these games that require Facebook accounts to play. I guess I'll just have to make do with actual Russian roulette, since I'm being discriminated against so for being Facebookless.

 

[kailus13]

The logo makes it seem more like someone's got a 1 in 6 chance of getting a facebook account they don't want. MMaybe their parents...

"Dare you play?" *click click click... BAM* "congratulations, your mother now has a facebook account, and she's posting all your baby photos!" "NOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

This sounds like the kind of thing I'd play if I had a facebook account.

 

[zidine100]

what next tying this into a mmo system. What you died, well there goes your facebook, just imagine the griefing the delicious delicious griefing

 

[ShadowGandalf01]

If only this had existed a few months back when I actually wanted to delete my account but didn't know how. I would've kept playing it until I hit that one in six jackpot. Oh well, I worked it out and deactivated my account ages ago.

 

[Omnicrom]

Since I'm religiously opposed to websites with bad design like Facebook I'd love to pull that trigger.

 

[Reincarnatedwolfgod]

That sounds more entertaining than anything made by zynga but that is not saying much.
I would consider playing it but then again I don't care about my facebook account.

 

[Reincarnatedwolfgod]

oops I doubled posted

 

[Patathatapon]

I'll play, LEMME PLAY GOD DAMNIT

 

[MeChaNiZ3D]

I think there's a more interesting lesson to be learned here: A Facebook App could theoretically delete all of your info. I'm now imagining somebody making a just-interesting-enough Facebook game, getting lots of people playing, and then shredding every account that's subscribed just for the giggles. Or, better, somebody taking over an existing one and shredding all of those.

Fixed. Think of the lulz, my friend.

OT: Facebook is a bit of an oversensitive pansy when it comes to anything that tries to subvert it's risk-free only-positive everyone is special atmosphere. I'm talking controversial humour pages, which have largely gone to s*** out of fear of posting anything that gets them flagged or something similar, the Dislike app, which hurt no-one since only cynical hateful bastards like the user could see them because you had to have the app to see dislikes, and of course there's this, which appears to be completely voluntary and with clearly forseeable consequences, but is a bit too edgy for Facebook. Oh and also they like you to have an account and like to retain everything you do for some reason.

 

[idarkphoenixi]

How is it even possible for an app the delete accounts? And how the hell did it get past Facebook for so long?

 

[Strazdas]

Lets loo at the bright side, at least its not polish roulette. (for those who dont know, polish roulette is playing Russian roulette with automatic pistol, every show is real)