Facebook is Grinch Stealing X-mas: MoveOn

Group vows battle, saying ads violate user privacy

By Wesley Oliver, Newser Staff

Posted Nov 20, 2007 8:30 PM CST

(Newser) – MoveOn.org plans to campaign against Facebook's "Beacon" ads, and do it on the social networking site's own turf, News.com reports. MoveOn promises an ad drive, a protest group, and an online petition over the advertisements—which post information about users' purchases on friends' news feeds. MoveOn calls the ads a “glaring violation of users’ privacy.”

Users can opt out, but MoveOn says the option is “well hidden” and must be repeated for each buy. A Facebook partner site director admitted the tactic surprised some users, but predicted they will “see it as a good thing" in time. "What's bad is that people are probably going to blame the merchant and not Facebook," he said.

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A facebook.com user's page. (Getty Images)

Facebook CEO and founder Mark Zuckerberg speaks to press and advertising partners at a Facebook announcement in New York, Monday, November 6, 2007. The online hangout said Tuesday it plans to let companies... (Associated Press)

Facebook CEO and founder Mark Zuckerberg speaks to press after he announced Facebook's new product for advertising partners in New York, Monday, November 6, 2007. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle) (Associated Press)

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaks to press and advertising partners at a Facebook announcement in New York, Monday, November 6, 2007. The online hangout said Tuesday it plans to let companies target... (Associated Press)

A young woman surfs facebook.com in this file photo. (Getty Images)

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Facebook is Grinch Stealing X-mas: MoveOn