Facebook deletes FCUK India page

Companies luring users to click on the Facebook 'Like' button to enter a contest have come

under increased scrutiny by the social networking giant that has nearly 700 million users globally and around 31 million users in India. And FCUK India is one of them. Facebook has deleted the pages of big brands like French Connection FCUK India, Cadbury's Bournville, and Pizza Hut India, and is understood to have sent warning letters to dozens of big companies for misusing the 'Like' button to promote their brands, thus violating the provisions of its 'promotional guidelines' which were revised on May 11, 2011.

The reason includes violating the codes governing hosting of such pages. Facebook issues promotion guidelines which every brand must follow while publishing offers and contests on their fan pages. If a brand wants to release promotions or run contests, they should do it by building an external application or tab. This is to specifically state that the promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook.

While Facebook wants companies to adhere to its 'promotional guidelines', "it has started enforcing these very strictly over the last fortnight", corroborates Social Media Strategist and Joint CEO of SocialWavelength.com, Hareesh Tibrewala. The company views the misuse of the 'Like' button as a dilution of its policy. Facebook's revised guidelines note that "...You must not use Facebook features or functionality, such as the Like button, as a voting mechanism for a promotion; You must not notify winners through Facebook, such as through Facebook messages, chat, or posts on profiles or Pages; and You may not use Facebook’s name, trademarks, trade names, copyrights, or any other intellectual property in connection with a promotion or mention Facebook in the rules or materials relating to the promotion…” Many companies may not have read the revised guidelines.