Facebook has a long history of flexing its muscles when it comes to third-party apps and developers. The social network destroyed many small apps in the past with cease-and-desist orders, and it seems that Swipe for Facebook and Simple Social are joining the bunch.
Thing is, Facebook’s own apps for Android often don’t offer the best user experience and people sometimes prefer to download third-party “wrapper” apps. These smaller, faster, and simpler apps are alternative ways to access Facebook but apparently, the social network wants people to stick to Facebook’s official apps.
According to SlashGear, developers of Swipe and Simple Social have received cease-and-desist letters from Facebook attorneys forcing them to effectively remove their apps from Google Play Store.
The developer of Swipe for Facebook posted this message to the app's subreddit:
It is with a very heavy heart that the day has finally come to say goodbye to Swipe for Facebook.
Today, I have received a cease and desist letter from some attorneys representing Facebook Inc. My social media accounts on Facebook and Instagram have also been permanently disabled (unfortunately locking me out of tons of memories over the years and contact with many distant relatives).
It’s one thing to try and force people to use certain apps on a legal basis (not particularly ethical but hey, it’s business), but a completely different matter to go personal and start disabling accounts. It’s called bullying.
Mariyan, a tech enthusiast with a background in Nuclear Physics and Journalism, brings a unique perspective to PhoneArena. His childhood curiosity for gadgets evolved into a professional passion for technology, leading him to the role of Editor-in-Chief at PCWorld Bulgaria before joining PhoneArena. Mariyan's interests range from mainstream Android and iPhone debates to fringe technologies like graphene batteries and nanotechnology. Off-duty, he enjoys playing his electric guitar, practicing Japanese, and revisiting his love for video games and Haruki Murakami's works.
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