@MobWorld SPAMs Twitter at Expense of Unwitting Players
I am writing to strongly object to abusive SPAM schemes perpetrated by Twitter users like @MobWorld.
If you look at @MobWorld’s website http://www.playmobsterworld.com/ you will see that in very small, light colored text underneath a VERY LARGE RED PLAY NOW BUTTON they write:
By clicking the Click to Play Now button, you are confirming you have read and agreed to Mobster World’s terms of service and you grant Mobster World access to send invitations automatically to your friends in your Twitter account.
Click here if you don’t wish to invite your contacts automatically.
First and foremost, this practice violates the spirit of opt-in, permission based marketing. @MobWorld is essentially asking players to allow @MobWorld to send a direct SPAM message to all of the player’s followers through the players Twitter account.
The problem is
1) I did not opt-in to receive such a direct message from @MobWorld,
2) the player granting that permission really does not have the authority to grant such permission, and
3) the hijacked Twitter user/player almost never realizes they have granted blanket permission to be the conduit for @MobWorld SPAM.
Potential fallout from this practice includes:
1) players will lose angry followers because @MobWorld hijacked their accounts to send SPAM
2) people (like me) who do not pay for unlimited SMS messages are getting unsolicited SMS messages. In effect, @MobWorld is charging me to send me their ads.
3) This practice will ultimately destroy trust in Twitter, undermining your future revenue stream.
I think @MobWorld should be banned from Twitter for this abusive practice. I think Twitter should not allow this practice, at all.
If companies like @MobWorld want to use Twitter to promote themselves, they can ask players to post a PUBLIC message to Twitter inviting their friends. That is, by far, the more ethical and sustainable practice.
- Posted in: Digital Politics ♦ Rants, Raves, Reflections
