
Ask HN: Is it unethical for an app to tweet and follow? - eslachance
So I started using an app on my phone that connects to twitter, gmail, facebook, etc, in order to learn my typing style (SwiftKey X) and offer suggestions. After a successful 30 day trial, I decided to go ahead an buy the full version, a whooping $3.50.<p>After installing and setting it up though, I was appalled to notice that, not only had the app had tweeted on my behalf <i>without asking or even telling me</i>, it had automatically followed the app company's official twitter account!<p>Do you think this is acceptable behavior for any software developer? What would be an appropriate reaction to this behavior, according to you?
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gfavvas
It's definitely unethical, and also against Twitter's TOS
(<https://dev.twitter.com/terms/api-terms>) which state:

II) 1) B) Get users' permission before: \- sending Tweets or other messages on
their behalf. A user authenticating through your application does not
constitute consent to send a message.

I'd disable their access to your account and report the app to Twitter:
<http://support.twitter.com/groups/33-report-a-violation>

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eslachance
Ah, I should have looked there. Didn't know where to find the TOS for apps
using Twitter.

I will definitely report them for this. Thanks for the link!

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dholowiski
I'm pretty sure you gave it permission to tweet on your behalf (twitter
oauth). But yeah, unethical for sure - they should have at least asked you.

