This headline really threw me, as it sounds like some kind of sexual predator was using social media tools to research victims or something. Or am I the only one who read it like that?
The reality is that a company called "College Prowler" was using Facebook for guerrilla marketing. Whew!
I read it like that as well, ryan[...]. The story is still interesting though. It is actually a pretty cool hack since most first year students will likely see no reason not to join these groups upon receiving an invitation. I can't think of another type of group that would have such widespread appeal and can be used (seemingly) reliably to attract 1 million+ users and push ads or whatever else.
...and if you employ the method described in the article using legit accounts it is not against fb's T&C. There are rules against creating an ACCOUNT that does not accurately represent you but you can create a GROUP that you don't belong in...so I would say it is a pretty cool hack.
The pretty cool hack of posting straight-up advertisements for an immigration law firm on Usenet (remember those days?) did a lot to ruin Usenet. In self-defense, I suppose Facebook has to figure out a way to reduce the frequency of this kind of hack. If it fails, then Facebook fails long-term, methinks.
I'm not entirely sure why the company is being so sheepish... nothing that was described sounds illegal or really that unethical... The CEO's statement is also clearly bullshit - they knew what they were doing, and are only back pedaling because they got caught.
The reality is that a company called "College Prowler" was using Facebook for guerrilla marketing. Whew!