The developer behind a browser extension called Unfollow Everything says he was permanently banned from Facebook (via Insider).
Unfollow Everything
The tool lets Facebook users automatically unfollow every friend and page in their news feed. Then, people could follow the people and pages they truly wanted. The developer, Louis Barclay, had published the browser extension in the Google Chrome store. It attracted the attention of researchers at the University of Neuchâtel in Switzerland who wanted to study the effects of people limited their Facebook.
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“Apart from that I just very much saw it as something that improves the Facebook experience for Facebook users,” he added, saying he got “amazing feedback” from people saying they “were using Facebook in a way that was much healthier for them.”
Barclay said he sought legal guidance on whether he could challenge the letter but learned that since he’s based in the UK he’d be liable for Facebook’s legal costs if he lost.
Then, in July 2021 Facebook sent Mr. Barclay a cease-and-desist letter, and had Google remove the extension from its platform. Facebook also disabled his account and that he was permanently banned from Facebook and Instagram.
We need a good alternative to Facebook. One that is run by ethical people.