SpeedDate, the online dating site that throws singles in a series of rapid dating sessions, has hijacked over 500,000 users from at least three Facebook applications. Users are logging on to Facebook to find that the applications they’ve had installed for months have been replaced with SpeedDate without being asked to opt-in.
As far as we can tell, all three modified applications were developed by HappyAppy, so it’s likely that SpeedDate either acquired the company with the $6 million it raised last month or the two companies share the same development team. Users are being sent brief messages notifying them that their applications have been renamed and “improved”, but only after the switch has been made without their consent.
The three affected applications are:
- Have You Ever??? (353,217 monthly active users)
- Would You Rather (158,291)
- Romantic Gifts (28,164)
In effect each of these applications has acted as a Trojan Horse, getting install permissions under false pretenses only to pull the bait-and-switch later on. Dozens of users have exhibited outrage over the swap in the review section of each application. It’s likely that such dishonest tactics are against Facebook’s Terms of Service, but after at least ten days of complaints Facebook has yet to act.
There’s also the question of how this change could ever happen in the first place. Does Facebook have no safeguards against replacing an application’s entire codebase, effectively making user bases totally transferable? What good is issuing per-application install permission when developers can replace a “good” application with a spammy one at will? Developer acquisitions are only going to become more common – Facebook should have a system in place to ensure that user privacy is not compromised in the process.
This isn’t the first time SpeedDate has been at odds with Facebook’s Terms of Service. In July it was temporarily banned, and some comments suggest that it was for a similar violation.
Check out Andy Kruger’s blog for more.
Did SpeedDate really think they would get away with this….. jeez.
Facebook please cut them off now!
if FB won’t do it…the users will do that…
defenitely
Olivia turns it on Andrew {seesmic_video:{”url_thumbnail”:{”value”:”http://t.seesmic.com/thumbnail/qgHvlitFh1_th1.jpg”}”title”:{”value”:”Olivia turns it on Andrew ”}”videoUri”:{”value”:”http://www.seesmic.com/video/TybZEMOplA”}}}
smoke a joint, go back to digg or s.t.f.u. u r not funny, just a weirdo
Doesn’t this violate some kind of age limit thing? Say the user is 13, and she is a user of the old app. She didn’t have to prove her age to acquire the old app. Now speed date hijacked the old app and did a switcheroo… Somebody should look into it. There might be a class action against speeddate…
And class action against FB too, since FB allowed such hole without further action for long time.
wow
what a low move by speeddate?
Hmm.. this isn’t the first facebook app SpeedDate has acquired. If they are looking to buy more, I have 10million users up for sale.
Yes, we are aware that “web 1.0” mentalities exist by we are trying to find the culprits. Please walk off a cliff (but please leave your login credentials with someone.
k.thnx.bye
The “culprits” are getting very rich and remaining very quiet.
I am serious though. I gots 10million users and I don’t need them anymore.
what are your 10 million users signed up for?
You’re witnessing the beginning of a trend here. All these indie FB apps are slowly being gobbled up by corporate prospectors like SpeedDate. Brilliant move.
I actually remember having and application called Naughty Gifts, and it also turned into the Speeddate app a few weeks ago. I uninstalled it immediately once I saw it had changed, I thought it was weird that it didn’t prompt me to be installed.
Completely off topic, but what is it about the new TechCrunch layout that makes me want to not look at it? I think it’s the font !?!?!
I use speeddate, and I have to say that it works way better than MySpace or other services.
Ironically the best feature of SpeedDate is the wink, and not the live video hookups. The live video hookups rarely work, and when you do a “speed date”, you’re normally staring at the girl’s avatar.
Chris- Dude!
Either you are one of the developers at SpeedDate (which would explain you using this kind of service), or, you are drunk, stoned and high on NutraSweet (or Splenda)
An app…a simple app, working better than MySpace??? Gimme a bloody break!!!!
When you’re in your “video hookup mode (kinky!), make sure you use the “Special Effects” option on your Logitech camera, because your logic yells that you can scare the fleas out of a chihuahua….
Best Comment Ever!
But, if you read comments often, you’d know this guy is serious and doesn’t work for them.
P.S. I was drunk when I made my error-ridden comment.
Seriously? Speeddate is terrible. If you want to compare dating sites to facebook or myspace then the closet thing you’d seriously consider comparing would be the likes of WooMe.com . They offer free video calls to whom ever you like on the site – either in group sessions or one-on-one – and offer the whole nudge, friends, address import, photos (albeit no where near as good as facebooks) thing.
For speeddate to resort to these tactics to get users is quite sad.
Facebook and the entire web community should make an example. Legal action should be taken for the blatant violation of the TOS.
I actually surprised this hasn’t come to light sooner. Companies and entrepreneurs have been snapping up apps with a lot of users since the platform’s inception, always with the intention of pulling a bait-and-switch.
For the record, there is currently nothing stopping someone from acquiring an app, changing the name, swapping out the entire codebase, etc. It’s only a matter of time before some malware company acquires a few 100,000 users and points the app to a malicious download.
Too many apps do this. There was this contest app which emailed me one day saying I had a profile waiting for me on their site. It pissed me off. It should always be an opt in.
This isn’t right. Shouldn’t face back be doing something about this?
This isn’t right. Shouldn’t facebook be doing something about this.
Guess what?
My “Have You Ever” app is gone. SpeedDate is on.
My girlfriend saw this update on her News Feed (me, having Speed Date installed now)
She just called me in my iPhone and broke up with me.
Any lawyer out there want to get rich?
lol, that is hilarious. umm I mean that is sad for you but hilarious for us. Ever consider she just needed a reason because she was banging your best friend?
You’re not joking, right?
Just explain to her.
Or get rich and get 2 blondes
These guys rock. #1 dating site by far on facebook. I have to hand it it to them for this latest strategy of buying up apps for users. The probably paid less than $1.50 per registered user. Try getting that on any search engine or via facebook ads. No chance.
David – Dude!
My man, please tell me that’s Exstacy you’re having with your Starbuck Tall Late Decaf….
ZOMG! speedate roxorz! Brilliant!
*throws Dave through a glass door*
I don’t use Facebook.
What goes around comes around – totally bad karma for speeddate. I saw it on my Facebook profile and thought – ohh I see they are spammers – It does not pass the 2 second sniff test and although they can say they have all these installs all it will take is to have a copycat competitor come right up the middle with an ethical way of getting users. They had a good gig going – nice viral video last year – new approach to a existing tapped out market – came up with a great idea and was lucky to go viral.
Everyone wants users but bait and switch speaks to who you are and if you will do that what will you do with private conversations and user profiles. You are building a community of Trust with your members and when you pull a stunt like that then your members then have to worry about your ultimate intentions.
I got one word for you – “Beacon” – everyone said “Hey Hey Hey what the f are you guys doing – I did not know you could do that – what else are you doing that I don’t know about?”
Bad move man – say your sorry and don’t go to the dark side.
Cheers – Eric
blog.pickuppal.com
Yet another problem with Facebook opening up its app development to third parties. Well I guess they had to do something to compete with MySpace…
http://www.SchoolShift.com
Your Experience. Your Life. Your School.
i Have Recently Joined ” Speed Dating “.
how about zoosk? i think this app same as speeddate.
I realized this design flaw when the facebook platform first launched. Not really much you can do with it, except if you go the google route and have the app hosted as flash/javascript on the site’s own servers. That’s the future.
Look at this crap! I just uninstalled the app on Facebook 10 minutes ago when I realized that I had been punk’d by the bait and switch – and this is what shows up in my inbox – man that is total spam crap!
################ start message ##############
To: Eric Dewhirst
From: “SpeedDate (Formerly Friend Game)”
Reply-To: Facebook
Subject: Private note for Eric: Welcome to SpeedDate
Message-ID:
This email was sent by SpeedDate (Formerly Friend Game). You can disable emails here.
—
Dear Eric:
Congratulations on joining SpeedDate! Welcome to the fastest and easiest way to meet new people.
Here are a few tips to help you get started:
Click here to try SpeedDate right away:
Here’s how it works: We bring online dates directly to you! Just click here and we’ll set you up with compatible online members for live 3-minute SpeedDates using chat, audio, or webcams!
Meet lots of people and then continue to chat with those you like best! In between dates, flirt and wink with other members!
Click here to make sure your profile is filled out:
SpeedDate profiles are much quicker to fill out than those on other sites. You’ll have better 3-minute SpeedDates if your date knows more about you!
Best,
The SpeedDate Team
P.S. Click here to invite friends! (Receive faster, hotter dates if you invite friends!)
################ end message ##############
Man that is nasty crap – bad Karma for sure.
I can understand that the dating industry is pretty competitive but you gotta know when to say no. When I uninstall your app you don’t send me a welcome email getting me to join – that is just wrong.
Cheers – Eric
SHE – ” You, dump-witted moron. I HATE you. I’m leaving you for real. Here’s your key. Don’t call me, don’t even think of me. it’s over!!!”
He – ” Eh…. You want to go out and catch that Brat Pitt movie?”
If she says YES:
- she’s one of the developers at SpeedDate.
- he drives a Porsche….
Haha, this almost like digitally slipping someone a date-rape drug (=
Why I stick with Multiply.com . They don’t allow this kind of crap.
didnt realize this was tc news worthy when mentioning speeddate’s tactic being used in comments section of their $6 MM raise post 3 weeks ago http://www.tech...ing-in-a-hurry/. this has been going on for a long time and sure makes those lofty user numbers a lot less interesting. real question they’ll need to answer to investor’s is what % of quoted userbase coming though fb application acquisition? not exactly a great way to grow a qualified user base.
per earlier comment, they have acquired about 15 different apps the past several months and subbed in their code base to hijack users. it is not only unethical, but no way to build a sustainable business. it is probably why they were unable to bring in a new investor to their series b, instead relying on menlo who also performed series a and obviously was lax on DD.
All I can say is that I could see something like that coming. The application invites are really annoying. I don’t want to be a zombie nor do I want to grow a cartoon garden.
Thanks Techcrunch,
I just used Speeddate and just hanged up with a cool russian girl over here in Portugal
Jason,
I wrote about this in July
http://www.allf...rs-get-nervous/
some dating sites are too pushy…
This looks like iDate and Jlove and Funnation again …
I hate malware wonder what facebook is going to do about this..
As yet I am not aware of any reply or action from Facebook on this matter. All four the applications shown in the search results above are still there. Now I know I brought this whole matter up on a Friday and we’re only now heading toward Monday, so I wait.
There are no controls to prevent developers from completely chaning the callback url of an app at will, esstially swapping out one app for another. There are even developers explicitly selling just the installed users of an app and not the underlying app or code. This happens a lot on Facebook, just not a widely publicized as this.
“Does Facebook have no safeguards against replacing an application’s entire codebase”
Nope — moreover, they really can’t do so within their architecture. Remember, Facebook apps are served by the app author, not by FB; even FBML apps just get a little post-processing by Facebook.
So the vast majority of what’s in the app is totally up to the author. That kind of has to be the case, given that a lot of companies are evolving their apps constantly — it would be almost impossible for FB to monitor those changes to separate appropriate from inappropriate changes.
So if you combine the need to be able to evolve apps with the need for small companies to be able to sell to bigger ones, you wind up with fertile ground for bait-and-switch. FB could put in ToS restrictions about it, but I suspect they don’t want to get into that legal minefield: just defining “bait and switch” in this context could probably occupy an army of lawyers for a fair while. (User outcry might force them to deal with it, but I can’t blame them for being reluctant.)
Food for thought: we expect FB to deal with this because we still think of it as *an* application, so they’re responsible for its content. But FB *wants* to think of itself as a platform, or even an operating system. The further they go down that road, the more they want to get out of the business of vetting application behaviour…
Jesus!!! another “social network”, the biggest business on the net right now..
social networks=a lot of $$$
Yep!
Not great publicity
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Ok, seriously….I just tried to break up with my boyfriend over this whole ordeal. We have been having trouble with our relationship lately and we both promised to give it 110% last night. Today I found the application on his facebook. I was SOOOO MAD!! Well, more hurt than anything. Then I find this site…..thank God for other people experiencing the same thing.
Names Analyzer is switching. Oregon Trail switched a weeks ago. In both cases I got a notification in the chat tray. I unsubscribed both immediately.
I don’t think they will, because they have already sold of the user info to microsoft when they bought 6%, out info, that’s as good as bait and switch right there, it’s embedded in their culture.
SpeedDate also took over the “Free Gifts” application.
i just got a notification that the ‘Pray For You’ application is now SpeedDate…. very annoying indeed…thats why I did a search and got to this page. This is way not right. What crap!! No doubt a number of the other applications are SpeedDate trojans!!
Are you kidding me. When I found my wife’s speed dating profile I was ready for a divorce.