Disclaimer: We may earn a commission if you make any purchase by clicking our links. Please see our detailed guide here.

Follow us on:

Google News
Whatsapp

‘Unfollow Everything’ Tool Developer is Now Banned by Facebook

IANS
IANS
Meet the voice behind Indo-Asian News Service (IANS), a storyteller navigating the currents of global events with precision and depth. Crafting narratives that bridge cultures, IANS brings you the pulse of the world in every word

Join the Opinion Leaders Network

Join the Techgenyz Opinion Leaders Network today and become part of a vibrant community of change-makers. Together, we can create a brighter future by shaping opinions, driving conversations, and transforming ideas into reality.

Facebook has reportedly banned a developer from its site who made a tool that lets people automatically unfollow friends and groups on the platform.

The Verge reported that Louis Barclay was the creator of “Unfollow Everything,” a browser extension that allowed Facebook users to essentially delete their News Feed by unfollowing all their connections at once.

Facebook allows users to individually unfollow friends, groups, and pages, which removes their content from the News Feed, the algorithmically-controlled heart of Facebook.

Barclay’s tool automated this process, instantly wiping users’ News Feed.

“I still remember the feeling of unfollowing everything for the first time. It was near-miraculous. I had lost nothing, since I could still see my favourite friends and groups by going to them directly,” Barclay wrote of his experience using the tool in a recent article for Slate.

“But I had gained a staggering amount of control. I was no longer tempted to scroll down an infinite feed of content. The time I spent on Facebook decreased dramatically. Overnight, my Facebook addiction became manageable,” he added.

In response, Facebook sent Barclay a cease-and-desist letter earlier this year, saying he’d violated the site’s terms of service by creating software that automated user interactions.

Barclay said the company then “permanently disabled my Facebook and Instagram accounts” and “demanded that I agree to never again create tools that interact with Facebook or its other services”.

Barclay notes that in addition to helping users, his “Unfollow Everything” tool was being used by researchers at the Swiss University of Neuchâtel to study the effects of the News Feed on people’s happiness.

He said he couldn’t risk tangling in court with a trillion-dollar company like Facebook and so simply removed the tool.

Join 10,000+ Fellow Readers

Get Techgenyz’s roundup delivered to your inbox curated with the most important for you that keeps you updated about the future tech, mobile, space, gaming, business and more.

Recomended

Partner With Us

Digital advertising offers a way for your business to reach out and make much-needed connections with your audience in a meaningful way. Advertising on Techgenyz will help you build brand awareness, increase website traffic, generate qualified leads, and grow your business.

Power Your Business

Solutions you need to super charge your business and drive growth

More from this topic