Facebook’s Open Graph is too tempting for app developers. All they need is the slightest bit of permission from the user, and then they can go nuts posting all kinds of app activity for all that person’s friends to see. Some apps can’t resist the chance to promote themselves, and they run the risk of disrespecting their users. Here’s a case study.
Facebook’s Open Graph allows for so-called “frictionless sharing.” In practical terms, that means sharing activities in an app without requiring an intentional click of a share or like button. And for certain kinds of applications, it’s a great idea. Some people like to share their music listening habits, for example, and apps like Spotify and Rdio make it easy.
But the benefit to the user is often less obvious. If the user is reading smutty tabloid articles or politically sensitive Storify posts, he or she might not want to broadcast that to every Facebook friend. Apps that use frictionless sharing require people to be constantly vigilant, and that’s an unrealistic expectation.
Frictionless sharing certainly helps app publishers promote themselves, but they can easily take advantage of users
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