Developers found using any of those providers will have their apps removed

Nov 27, 2009 12:51 GMT  ·  By
Facebook developers found using any of the ad networks banned by the social network will have their apps removed
   Facebook developers found using any of the ad networks banned by the social network will have their apps removed

Facebook is taking a harder stance on what third-party app developers can do to make money, more specifically, what ad-networks they can and can't use, with emphasis on the latter. In light of all the recent scandals and controversy over some practices developers employed to monetize their apps, especially the so called 'offer-ads', it's no surprise that the social network, which was also criticized for its lax approach in enforcing its own policies, has finally taken a clearer stance. Facebook has issued a list of “monetization providers” which are banned from the site and says that any app doing business with them is liable to be banned as well.

“In an effort to keep you informed on the best ways to adhere to our policies and principles, while continuing to grow your business on Facebook Platform, we've created a list of monetization providers that are no longer permitted to operate on Facebook Platform or Facebook.com. These providers have violated our policies and/or principles,” Nick Gianos, from Facebook's Platform team, wrote.

Facebook says that the list can change at any time, so the developers should regularly check to see if their ad network hasn't been added to it to avoid any problems. At the moment, four providers have been singled out, Gambit, Social Hour, SocialReach, and Tatto Media. The social network is refraining from being too hard-lined and its new platform policy asks developers to “be trustworthy” and to “create a great user experience.”

While it's making it clear that it will take harder measures against those who are found in violation of its policies, Facebook wants to help out developers so it also created a list of various monetization services providers. “We have also updated the list of other known third party providers that are available to help you monetize your application. These providers are not affiliated with Facebook and, therefore, it is your responsibility as the developer to ensure compliance with all Facebook policies and advertising guidelines when using their services on our platform,” Gianos added.