Developer banned from Facebook because of News Feed extension
British developer Louis Barclay is permanently banned from Facebook and Instagram. Why? Because he created a tool that allowed users to delete their Facebook News Feeds with a few simple clicks.
The California-based tech giant Facebook has banned a British developer from using its platforms for life. Louis Barclay created a browser extension that allowed users to delete their Facebook News Feeds with a few simple clicks.
The Chrome plugin was called «Unfollow Everything» and could be used to automatically unfollow all pages and people on Facebook. Barclay’s goal was to give users a more enjoyable experience and more control over their use of Facebook by removing the infinite feed. And it didn’t require users to disconnect entirely from existing friendships and connections. Facebook friends remained intact; they simply no longer occupied the News Feed.
In July 2020, Barclay made the tool available in the Chrome Web Store free of charge. According to his own statements, it proved very popular. So popular, in fact, that science even took an interest in it. Researchers at the University of Neuchâtel wanted to use his tool to study the influence of the News Feed on the amount of time spent on the platform and the happiness of users.
A violation of the rules
However, the study planned with «Unfollow Everything» could not be completed. At the beginning of July of this year, Facebook pulled the ripcord. Barclay was reportedly banned from Facebook’s platforms without comment. According to Barclay, it was only after a public tweet that Facebook’s lawyers contacted him with a cease-and-desist letter. The «Unfollow Everything» extension was cited as the reason for his ban.
Under pressure from the billion-dollar tech company, Barclay finally gave in and removed the extension from the Chrome Web Store.
Whistleblower scandal sets the stage
The current whistleblower scandal surrounding Facebook has offered the developer an opportunity to address his experience with Facebook. Two weeks after the scandal was made public, Barclay spoke out about it in an article published on Slate.
He writes that he merely wanted to give people a healthier experience on social media and calls on lawmakers to take the welfare of users on these platforms more seriously. In addition, Barclay states it was not okay for Facebook to instrumentalise its terms of service to actively crack down on research and tools which aim to give users more control over their data and how they use the platform.
Barclay violated a provision in Facebook’s terms of service, which, as a former Facebook user, he had agreed to. Nevertheless, Facebook’s actions against the independent developer don’t paint a good picture in the context of the current whistleblower scandal.
In the wake of the revelations, the company has promised to make its products more consumer-friendly again. Just last week, Facebook announced a «take a break» feature for Instagram, which is supposed to encourage teens to take regular breaks from scrolling through Instagram.
Other options are out there
Of course, the Internet has other hacks and tools on offer to deal with the manipulative mechanisms of social networks. Some of them are still available in the Chrome Web Store. Those interested are sure to also find a solution on the developer platform Github.
«I want it all! The terrifying lows, the dizzying highs, the creamy middles!» – these words spoken by an iconic American TV celebrity could have been mine. It's a take on life I also apply to my job. What does this mean in concrete terms? That every story has its charm; no matter how small, large, exciting or trivial. The more eclectic the mix, the better.