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Topic: Security

Facebook's bad year: The beginning of the end?

Summary: A look back at some of the major controversies to grip the world's largest social network over the past few months. Is Facebook teetering on the edge of collapse?

Zack Whittaker

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Facebook has had a terrible Fall, let alone full year. A number of high-profile controversies has caused the company to retreat and renege on a number of its decisions over the past few months, and ZDNet, CNET and CBS News has documented these failings in great detail.

But what has caused these major privacy fluff-ups, data retention issues or cookie-tracking problems? Is it all part of Facebook's ethos of taking on Google's "don't be evil" motto and somehow getting it oh-so-very wrong? Or is the social networking giant, close to 1 billion users, finally crippling itself under the weight of its own userbase? Is the company heading for secret global domination, and seeks to become the foremost hub for intelligence and information?

The cultural shift of Facebook's 2004 inception to its 2011 downfall days is clear. This gallery explores some of the worst controversies of this year, which threaten to bring the social networking giant to its proverbial knees.

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Topics: Security, Collaboration, Data Centers, Legal, Social Enterprise

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Talkback

17 comments
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  • Beginning of the end for the social networking giant? No.

    the vast majority of the over 800 million people who use it don't care about anything in the news about Facebook. Those that are would (rightfully) assume any competing product is just teh same.

    No, I can't see any mass exodus or anything. People in general don't care.
    William Farrell
    Reply Vote

    • RE: Facebook's bad year: The beginning of the end?

      @William Farrell
      I absolutely agree. On average, people just don't care.
      lass23
      Reply Vote

    • RE: Facebook's bad year: The beginning of the end?

      @William Farrell

      "the vast majority of the over 800 million people who use it don't care about anything in the news about Facebook."

      And the vast majority of the 7 billion people in the world don't care about Facebook.
      cracker@...
      Reply Vote

    • I would have to agree with you.

      @William Farrell
      I would argue that most people have not suffered anything personally from any issue with Facebook, and since it is doing what they need it to do, they do not care.
      :|
      Tim Cook
      Reply Vote

    • RE: Facebook's bad year: The beginning of the end?

      @William Farrell
      Considering Facebook and Microsoft still exist after all their anti-competitive behaivour and privacy abuse, you might have a fair point.
      anono
      Reply Vote

  • RE: Facebook's bad year: The beginning of the end?

    I won't miss them if they go away.
    CobraA1
    Reply Vote

  • RE: Facebook's bad year: The beginning of the end?

    I doubt this is the beginning of the end. You could make a very similar list for Google and Microsoft.<br><br>Facebook is too entrenched. People like to use the downfall of MySpace as an example of how fickle users can be. The primary difference is that MySpace wasn't a platform. There was no way their developers, even if competent, could keep up with the hordes of applications that come out for Facebook everyday. Just this week both Skype and Paypal have released applications for Facebook. Google+ got "Pages". Neat.
    Rich Miles
    Reply Vote

    • Sorry ... but Facebook is no Google, much less a Microsoft

      @Rich Miles Google is a company created by providing a product that was desperately needed.

      Microsoft is a company with many products and longevity. It also was a company built on a product desperately needed.

      On the other hand, Facebook is a company that provide a simple service that is easily replaceable. All it takes is for somebody else to open a more user friendly service .... and people will drop out faster than flies during an insecticide fogout.

      Facebook is like MySpace and Geocity. A temporary "fad" that already reached is peak and is already on a spiral decline.

      There is absolutely NOTHING that Facebook can transform into. Facebook is a real one trick pony company who's primary earnings are based on (legally) stealing private information and selling it to the highest bidder. That kind of business only last for a few years.
      wackoae
      Reply Vote

  • Good logo

    But are you implying that facebook is a scandal-ridden disaster of Enron proportions?
    tkeller@...
    Reply Vote

  • RE: Facebook's bad year: The beginning of the end?

    No - if anything people are finally realizing the social "networking" is flat boring and sad... I mean look at Google+ It has a user base, but of my 400 friends 3 are on it... and that was after they opened it up to everyone.
    ItsTheBottomLine
    Reply Vote

    • RE: Facebook's bad year: The beginning of the end?

      @ItsTheBottomLine
      No one is saying it's the end of Facebook. But the question is, is it the beginning of the end?
      anono
      Reply Vote

  • RE: Facebook's bad year: The beginning of the end?

    Lol, "beginning of the end" riiiiiiiight.

    Not sure what the point of this article is except to highlight a few "issues" Facebook has met this year and no one really cares about. 99% of users on Facebook are completely unaware or simply don't care about the issues mentioned.
    spaulagain
    Reply Vote

  • RE: Facebook's bad year: The beginning of the end?

    This article would be more persuasive if it weren't full of grammatical errors.
    Fred H
    Reply Vote

  • Facebook should get what it deserves.

    The Facebook user application turned into a cluster_____. It has no regard for its users and I've never trusted the privacy settings. Three months ago I deactivated my Facebook account for the third and final time. By the way, it won't let you delete your account data!
    M142222
    Reply Vote

  • Uhh.. What?

    Facebook needs to get their act together, but I don't see them going away anytime soon. Social networking isn't a fad. People want to keep in touch with old and new friends and Facebook delivers a very easy way to do it. If a new social network site that was as easy to use as Facebook was to popup, then I can see FB fading away. I have to laugh every time I see articles comparing everything to Google on ZDnet.

    Also.. I have to laugh at the pretended motto of Google as "don't be evil"... Those guys really hate it when I bring up Germany and other privacy concerns that has been announced in the news the last two years. lol... ZDNet has a long history of Google fanboyism. Remember articles posted here calming that Google was going to take down MS with their new OS? lol.. (this was before Vista shipped).
    Qix77
    Reply Vote

  • RE: Facebook's bad year: The beginning of the end?

    http://qqurl.in/HjdMYZ

    http://qqurl.in/HjdMYZ

    http://qqurl.in/HjdMYZ
    chzhrr
    Reply Vote

  • Myspace / Facebook/ next one

    looking for help combining Myspace with facebook to create "realspace" unlimited uploads to allow free speach and free sharing of ideas music and freedom just like the founders of this great country
    Garrison Bulkley
    Reply Vote
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