HLB Engineering's dashboard

You have got to write to the atorney general (find the link below)........ This matter must be brought forward quickly, and proper guidlines must be put in place to help everyone.

Regards

http://ag.ca.gov/consumers/general.htm

Here's a interesting development of Facebook's policy of disable without warning or explanation...

I'm an advertiser and currently I am in the position of being unable to deactivate paying ad campaigns or to remove or alter my companies bank account details from our Facebook ads system..

I have a facebook account that I use to promote my companies magazine, Singletrack. I don't use the actual account itself but rather via the legitimate commercial mechanism of setting up a separate page for our magazine that I access via my facebook account. We also use the Facebook advertising system to purchase ads that promote our magazine. Crucially the financial part of this arrangement - bank account details.. daily budgets for each ad campaign.. etc are all controled via my Facebook account.

So, Facebook have disabled my account for an unspecified reason. Now I can't login and change our ads. But more worringly I can't now stop Facebook from continuing to run ads and automatically bill our bank account.
I've emailed facebook but they have made actually contacting them extremely difficult and the email address I used I found only by googling and coming across this website. No reply as yet.. it's been several hours and in that time our ad campaigns have continued to run and I can't stop them or change them. It would seem that in my case the only way I could stop them from taking money from our bank account is to contact our bank and get them to stop it. By the time that all happens I imagine we could have run up quite a bill.

My Facebook account was disabled about a week ago. Facebook sent me an email saying I violated their terms of service, which prohibit sending "unsolicited messages, friend requests, pokes, and other features." Well, if they can kick you out for a few unsolicited pokes and friend requests, I think their terms of service are totally unrealistic and ridiculous.

Anyway, I was considering sending them an email to say I have hired a lawyer and will begin legal action against them unless they re-activate my account. (It's just sabre-rattling...I don't really plan to do this...haha! ) But would it have any effect? Would it "scare" them into re-activating my account? Or would they just refer the matter to their own legal team?

Facebook is a free service we all appreciate that

And maybe you right sueing facebook could prove dufficult ! but assasinating them in the media is easy. Note that we could literally use our effort and funds to bring the topic to the forefront !
We could ask the question 'can facebook terminate your account for any or no reason' as there terms of use state and then point out that you being black, white, thin, short, buddist or christian, disabled or abled, rich or poor all fall under the broad sphere of any or no reason.
Then we could let the public decide if any organisation or company should be allowed such a right ? Should they be allowed such a right ? Are abuses of power and negligence not a shear certainty in that case......????

I would like to see the best lawyer in world argue there case from a moral and ethical point of view, I'd like to see the best speaker in the world argue the case from the moral and ethical point of view........ and I would like the people of the world to be the judge ! – A strong clear vision, on September 01, 2008 20:31

There are already discussions centered around facebook conduct. I think it is a good idea for people to explore their legal options even if no legal action can be taken.
I don't think anyone here needs to "get a grip" because they are in fact being mistreated. The fact that facebook is free does give the developers and excuse to treat people unfairly. – Chris W, on August 17, 2008 21:31

Chris, perhaps this should then have been a discussion around Facebook's conduct, rather than their upset former clientele's legal options? – Sam J, on August 17, 2008 21:13

Sam, facebook is making millions of dollars through advertising and people are investing a lot of time using their social network to communicate with others plan events etc and for the to callously and arbitrary ban people is unacceptable behavior. The more people accept improper treatment, no matter how frivolous you may think it is, the more people have to deal with these things in day to day life. – Chris W, on August 17, 2008 21:06

yeah but they can't show my trademark after I ask them to take it down.

I think all of you need to clearly re-read the terms and conditions of the service in which you agreed to when applying.

Essentially when joining Facebook you commit that all data you transmit to them becomes their property for use in marketing or any other purpose. They also note that they can suspend or remove your account at any time without notice and/or reason.

Get a grip people. You're using a FREE service. Also, from experience, ToS documents are usually written or proof'ed by a legal representative/team to make sure it is legally sound and able to be upheld, and limit litigation.

My account is disabled. I created a group that uses a registered trademark of mine. I asked them to take it down but they haven't responded. I doubt they have. I am ready to sue. If you are an attorney and think I have a case feel free to contact me rjgreenbaum@gmail.com. I also asked them to delete my private info from their servers ie family photos and they refused. I think they need pressure to understand they have no right to that information
this is a youtube video I made:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJPxqJ...

I think facebook is so arrogant.

My account has been deactived since this past weekend, and I've gone back and forth and have seen many of the canned messages posted around this site and others. And of course, I'm confused as I've done absolutely nothing.

In regards to a class action lawsuit, I think several items would need to be presented for it hold up. Another interesting angle would be defamation of character. After all, when Facebook disables your account for an unwarranted reason, your friends on Facebook will certainly find out about it once they're unable to message or find you. If you've done nothing wrong, this is a direct attack on a persons character. It wouldn't hold up alone, but I think a class action lawsuit that includes many of things posted here would go well.

Also, pushing forward changes to facebook instead of seeking compensation would make the lawsuit more receptive and effective. i'm thinking about starting a website/blog dedicated to exploring a potential classaction lawsuit. Facebook is such a pivitol communication tool for our generation, and 30 years down the line I don't want to be accused of spamming for absolutely no reason lol.

I think it is interesting to look into what the law does or does not allow. Certainly it is very clear that the law is the weakest and almost undefined in cyber space (allowing facebook the greatest freedom to violate the rights of anyone). I don’t think I have seen proper laws available for cyberspace and perhaps someone who really knows the subject should render help.

In the real world whether a sign contract is available or not and regardless of what the contract states nothing (not even a piece of paper) can be forcefully removed from the possession of anyone. That’s the law. If someone else believes he is the owner of an item he must go through the correct legal channels, proof to the court that he is in fact the rightful owner of the item and then it will be the court together with the law enforcement body who will engage in the removal of the item from the possession of the person and give it back to the rightful owner.

In cyber space to would be hard for the court to enforce this system on every facebook account removed. But from the moral and emotional perspective it is clearly unlawful dispossession of property. I would also say that a facebook account certainly contains very personal information which is certainly the property of the individual rather than facebook.

I would say that it is absolutely clear that a legislation must be passed to moderate facebook and remove the pretension that they have absolute power to do as they please, as there terms of use clearly state.

After all no one has the right to create a contract which states that they have the shear right to unlawfully dispossess you of your property (which is an illegal action), or that facebook has the right to carry out unprecedented abuses and then claim that on the bases of unprecedented and unmanageable volumes it is simply impractical that individuals rights can be held sacred so they will simply be ignored.

My account was disabled a week ago with no reason, email, warning or anything. my classmates and i do homework and group projects through facebook, and without it, I'm left behind. I really don't think i did anything wrong, and despite the 20 or so emails i've sent to disabled, info, and appeals@facebook.com, no one has replied. This has to be some kind of violation, and something has to be able to be done. If my account is "disabled" by someone else, then i want all of my information deleted from their website, and if that can't be done, even, something needs to happen. this is bullcrock.

Hey HLB Engineering, I agree with your breech of contract thing 100%. My account was disabled 3 weeks ago for what FB deems violation of the terms of use. I never did anything wrong. Do you know of any law or case that I can demand FB to reveal the information that got my account disabled. I am also looking for a way to sue facebook.

The question isn't what Facebook maintains as their undisputed right to allow access. The question is what constitutes contract and ratification. What the parties are obligated to perform by way of the contract. Can one party unilaterally cancel a contract once entered into. I doubt it though I'm no lawyer.

I have referred the case to an attorney who is a member of Facebook.

But this issue will come back again and again. And someone is going to institute a class action lawsuit, you can bet on that especially given that Facebook operates across international borders. The law firm that starts this action is going to get a notoriety that money itself can't buy. And that's why somewhere, sometime, this issue will be litigated.

Thanks.

HLB Engineering
Mt. Lebanon PA

That's an interesting perspective and it would be interesting to hear a lawyer's perspective. I'm sure Facebook would throw the Terms of Service back at us, where they'd highlight the following passage:

The Company may terminate your membership, delete your profile and any content or information that you have posted on the Site or through any Platform Application and/or prohibit you from using or accessing the Service or the Site or any Platform Application (or any portion, aspect or feature of the Service or the Site or any Platform Application) for any reason, or no reason, at any time in its sole discretion, with or without notice, including if it believes that you are under 13, or under 18 and not in high school or college.