Facebook had hoped Beacon – an advertising system implemented in 2007 to exploit the power of "word of mouth" marketing, which inserted details of purchases made at participating websites in to the news feed of Facebook users, making it visible to all their friends – would provide a revenue boost for the company as well as prove useful to users.
But scores of Facebook users complained that they hadn't received enough information about the service, and claimed that it invaded their privacy. Facebook's founder, Mark Zuckerberg, was forced to make the service opt-in only, and issued a grovelling apology. Such was the strength of feeling surrounding the issue, though, that one group of around 20 Facebook users started legal action against the social-networking site in August 2008.
via Facebook shuts down Beacon - Telegraph
But scores of Facebook users complained that they hadn't received enough information about the service, and claimed that it invaded their privacy. Facebook's founder, Mark Zuckerberg, was forced to make the service opt-in only, and issued a grovelling apology. Such was the strength of feeling surrounding the issue, though, that one group of around 20 Facebook users started legal action against the social-networking site in August 2008.
via Facebook shuts down Beacon - Telegraph
