Whopper Sacrifice Forced to Disable Behavior by Facebook (Updated)
A week after the Whopper Sacrifice application made waves for its creative (and aggressive) use of Facebook friend removals as a way to spread the application, Facebook has forced it to disable the app’s functionality, according to the developer.
Facebook has clarified that it has not shut the app down – it still exists – but rather it has required the developer to remove its functionality for violating users’ expectations of privacy. Normally, no notification is sent when a user removes a friend on Facebook. However, the Whopper Sacrifice application posted a feed story letting others know the friend was being sacrificed for a Whopper before finalizing the removal.
“We encourage creativity from developers and companies using Facebook Platform, but we also must ensure that applications meet users’ expectations. After constructive conversations with Burger King and the developer of the application, they have decided to conclude their campaign rather than continue with the restrictions we placed on their application,” a Facebook spokesperson told Inside Facebook in an updated statement.
During the last week, the app was used by 82,000 people to delete over 230,000 friendships on Facebook. Users who “sacrificed” at least 10 friends received a coupon for a free Whopper at Burger King.
The app, developed by Refresh Partners and Crispin Porter, quickly became a hit the same day it launched.
