Facebook Platform

Simplified Developer Principles & Policies

9/21/2010
 Developer Principles and Policies

Simplified Developer Principles & Policies

This document summarizes upcoming changes to the Platform policies. We are removing
the following policies because they (1) will be replaced with a new policy, (2) will become
a best practice, (3) are covered by other existing terms and policies, or (4) are no longer
expressly prohibited.

Section Policy Rational

I.1 You must provide a link to
your privacy policy and any
other applicable policies on
every page of your
application.
We are removing this policy because it is
redundant to other Facebook Platform Terms
and Policies, i.e., we still require developers
to post a link to their privacy policy on their
application or website.

We’ve also added a requirement that you

include your privacy policy URL in the
Developer Application. When you include
your application’s privacy policy URL in the
privacy field, a link to your application’s
privacy policy will appear on the unified data
permissions dialog
(http://developers.facebook.com/blog/post/37
8).

II.7 To change the name of your We encourage you to follow this model as a
application, you must use best practice for alerting users to your
one of the following formats application’s name change, but this is no
for 30 days before longer required under our policies.
completely switching to your
new application name: "New
name (formerly 'old name')"
or "New name (renamed)."
For example, "App 2
(formerly App 1)" or "App 2
(renamed)."

IV.B.1 If your application contains We encourage you to follow this model as a

content unsuitable for best practice for alerting users to the nature
consumption by the general of the content in your application, but this is
Facebook user base (e.g., no longer required under our policies.
strong language, fantasy
violence, simulated
gambling; see also MPAA PG-
13 and ESRB Teen
standards), you must
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describe the nature of the
content in the Info section of
your application's Profile
page.
V.1 You must not incentivize
users to grant additional
permissions or use
Application Integration
Points.
V.2 You must not require users to
grant additional permissions
or add Application Integration
Points, and must only
request extended
permissions at reasonable
times when the user engages
with features that would
require the use.
V.3 You must not prompt users
to send invitations, requests,
publish a Stream story or use
other Facebook
communication channels
immediately after a user
allows access or returns to
your application.
V.4 You must provide users with
a “skip” button on any page
where users are prompted to
use a Facebook
communication channel (e.g.,
invitations and requests) that
is adjacent to and the same
height and design of the
send option. If a user
chooses to “skip” you must
not present the user with a
similar prompt during that
user’s visit to your
application.
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Developer Principles and Policies
New Replacement Policy states: You must not
incentivize users to use (or gate content
behind the use of) Facebook communication
channels, or imply that an incentive is
directly tied to the use of our channels.
We are removing this policy in light of our
unified data permissions dialog
(http://developers.facebook.com/blog/post/37
8), which gives users transparency and
control over the information they give
applications or websites and provides you
with a streamlined flow for requesting
multiple permissions.
New Replacement Policy states: You must not
prompt new users to send invitations
immediately after they connect with your
application.
We are replacing this policy after receiving
feedback that we were interfering with game
design and mechanics. With the new policy,
you have discretion as to where you place the
skip option (e.g., right next to the send option
or by using an “X” in a dialog box), but our
expectation is that users are able to easily
find this option. For example, an “X” in a
dialog box will be sufficient, provided it is not
so small that a user would have trouble
finding it. In addition, a “skip” button near
any send option is sufficient provided no
efforts are made to hide the skip option from
users.
New Replacement Policy states: You must
provide users with an easily identifiable
“skip” option whenever you present users
with an option to use a Facebook
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V.5 You must not pre-select more
than one person to receive
information through a
Facebook communication
channel.
V.6 You must only use one
Facebook communication
channel in response to a
user’s single action.
V.8 Your Application tab label
must not contain a call to
action (e.g., "Click Here").
VI.A.1 You must not present users
with the Feed form or publish
a Stream story unless a user
has explicitly indicated an
intention to share that
content, by clicking a button
or checking a box that clearly
explains their content will be
shared.
VI.A.3 You must not use Stream
stories as a method for users
to invite friends to your
application.
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Developer Principles and Policies
communication channel. If a user chooses to
“skip” you must not present the user with the
same prompt during that user’s visit to your
application.
We encourage you to follow this model as a
best practice, but this is no longer required
under our policies.
We encourage you to follow this model as a
best practice, but this is no longer required
under our policies.
We encourage you to follow this model as a
best practice, but this is no longer required
under our policies.
We are replacing this policy after receiving
feedback that we were interfering with game
mechanics by creating a two-click
confirmation process for applications that
chose the Feed form. With the new policy, if
you use the Feed form – which we encourage
because it gives users the opportunity to
preview and customize the content – you can
present the user with the Feed form without
the user first confirming that they want to
share with friends.
New Replacement Policy states: Users must
always consent to any Stream story you post
on their behalf. If you do not use the Feed
form which gives users the option to preview
and customize their post, you must not
publish a Stream story unless a user has
explicitly indicated an intention to share that
content, by clicking a button or by checking a
box that clearly explains their content will be
shared.
We encourage this model as a best practice,
but this is no longer required under our
policies. Please note that our policies prohibit
you from providing users with the option to
publish the same Stream story to more than
 Developer Principles and Policies

one friend’s wall at a time.

VI.A.5 You must not include calls to
action in the body of your
Stream stories (e.g., "Beat
her score!" or "Can you beat
her score?"). A call to action
must only be presented as an
action link (in line with
"comment" and "like" and
similar to Facebook's stories
in design).
We are deleting this policy after receiving
your feedback that it was difficult to
understand and comply with. We continue to
prohibit advertisements and cross-promotion
in the Stream. You have discretion in regards
to your messaging provided the Stream story
accurately represents actions a user has
taken or content a user wants to share.

II.1 You must not confuse, We are deleting this policy, because it is
mislead, surprise, or defraud covered in other existing terms and policies.
anyone.

II.3 You must not use a user's We are deleting this policy, because it is
session key to make an API covered in other existing terms and policies.
call on behalf of another
user.

II.5a You must not inform a user We are deleting this policy, because it is
that someone has removed covered in other existing terms and policies.
the user as a friend.

II.5b You must not track visits to a We are deleting this policy, because it is
user's profile, or estimate the covered in other existing terms and policies.
number of such visits,
whether aggregated
anonymously or identified
individually.

II.6 You must not significantly We are deleting this policy, because it is
alter the purpose of your covered in other existing terms and policies.
application such that users
would view it as entirely
unfamiliar or different.

II.9a Special provisions for email We are deleting this policy, because it is
addresses obtained from us: covered in other existing terms and policies.
a. Emails you send must
clearly indicate that they are
from you and must not
appear to be from Facebook
or anyone else. For example,
you must not include
Facebook logos or brand
assets in your emails, and

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 Developer Principles and Policies

you must not mention

Facebook in the subject line,
"from" line, or body header.

II.10 Jabber/XMPP support: We are deleting this policy, because it is

covered in other existing terms and policies.
a. You must not pre-fill
messages or otherwise act
on a user's behalf.

b. You must use the Connect-

based authentication method
unless your application is a
standalone desktop or mobile
application that does not
have a Facebook application
ID.

c. You must only use Jabber

to enable a full chat session
by providing users with the
ability to send and receive
messages.

IV.A.1 Adult content, including We are deleting this policy, because it is

nudity, sexual terms and/or covered in other existing terms and policies.
images of people in positions
or activities that are
excessively suggestive or
sexual;

IV.A.2 Obscene, defamatory, We are deleting this policy, because it is

libelous, slanderous and/or covered in other existing terms and policies.
unlawful content;

IV.A.6 Inflammatory religious We are deleting this policy, because it is

content; covered in other existing terms and policies.

IV.A.7 Politically religious agendas We are deleting this policy, because it is

and/or any known covered in other existing terms and policies.
associations with hate,
criminal and/or terrorist
activities;

IV.A.8 Content that exploits political We are deleting this policy, because it is
agendas or uses "hot button" covered in other existing terms and policies.
issues for commercial use
regardless of whether the
developer has a political

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agenda;

IV.A.9 Hate speech, whether We are deleting this policy, because it is

directed at an individual or a covered in other existing terms and policies.
group, and whether based
upon the race, disability, sex,
creed, national origin,
religious affiliation, marital
status, sexual orientation,
gender identity, or language
of such individual or group;

IV.A.11 “Spam" or other advertising We are deleting this policy, because it is

or marketing content that covered in other existing terms and policies.
violates applicable laws,
regulations or industry
standards.

IV.B.2 You must provide users with We are deleting this policy, because it is
a way to report user- covered in other existing terms and policies.
generated content and timely
address any user reports.

IV.C.2 Your advertisements must We are deleting this policy, because it is

comply with our Advertising covered in other existing terms and policies.
Guidelines.

V.11 You must not set a custom We are deleting this policy, because it is
privacy setting unless the covered in other existing terms and policies.
user has proactively specified
that they want this non-
default setting.

V.12 You can tag a photo only with We are deleting this policy, because it is
the express consent of the covered in other existing terms and policies.
user on whose behalf you are
doing the tagging, and must
only tag images when the tag
accurately labels what is
depicted in the image.

VI.A.4 You must use discretion We are deleting this policy, because it is
when publishing Stream covered in other existing terms and policies.
stories and must not misuse
the Stream by publishing an
excessive amount of stories
on a user's behalf.

VI.B.1 You must use the counter We are deleting this policy, because it is
only to inform users about
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 Developer Principles and Policies

legitimate actions that they covered in other existing terms and policies.
should take within your
application, and must not use
the counter for promotional
or marketing purposes.

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