Facebook like button#Fake "likes"

The like button is a feature of social networking service Facebook, where users can like content such as status updates, comments, photos and videos, links shared by friends, and advertisements. The feature was activated February 9, 2009.{{cite web |first=Jason |last=Kincaid |title=Facebook Activates "Like" Button; FriendFeed Tires Of Sincere Flattery |url=https://techcrunch.com/2009/02/09/facebook-activates-like-button-friendfeed-tires-of-sincere-flattery/ |website=TechCrunch |publisher=AOL |date=February 9, 2009 |access-date=May 30, 2017}} It is also a feature of the Facebook Platform that enables participating websites to display a button that enables sharing the site's content with friends.{{cite web |first=Michael |last=Arrington |author-link=Michael Arrington |title=Facebook To Release A "Like" Button For the Whole Darn Internet |url=https://techcrunch.com/2010/03/25/facebook-to-release-a-like-button-for-the-whole-darn-internet/ |website=TechCrunch |publisher=AOL |date=March 25, 2010 |access-date=May 30, 2017}}

When a user clicks the like button, the content appears in the News Feeds of that user's friends.{{cite web |first=JP |last=Mangalindan |title=Facebook Likes don't go as far as they used to in News Feed update |url=http://mashable.com/2015/04/21/news-feed-facebook-likes/ |website=Mashable |date=April 21, 2015 |access-date=May 30, 2017}}{{cite web |first=Josh |last=Constine |title=How Facebook News Feed Works |url=https://techcrunch.com/2016/09/06/ultimate-guide-to-the-news-feed/ |website=TechCrunch |publisher=AOL |date=September 6, 2016 |access-date=May 30, 2017}} The button also displays the number of users who liked each piece of content, and may show a full or partial list of those users.{{cite web |title=Like and React to Posts |url=https://www.facebook.com/help/1624177224568554/ |website=Facebook Help Center |publisher=Facebook |access-date=May 30, 2017}} The ability to like users' comments was added in June 2010,{{cite web |first=Chloe |last=Albanesius |title=Facebook Adds Ability to 'Like' Comments |url=https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2365190,00.asp |website=PC Magazine |publisher=Ziff Davis |date=June 17, 2010 |access-date=May 30, 2017}} and the ability to react with one of five pre-defined emotions, including "Love", "Haha", "Wow", "Sad", or "Angry", was added in May 2017.{{cite web |first=Natt |last=Garun |title=Facebook reactions have now infiltrated comments |url=https://www.theverge.com/2017/5/3/15536812/facebook-reactions-now-available-comments |website=The Verge |publisher=Vox Media |date=May 3, 2017 |access-date=May 30, 2017}}{{cite web |first=David |last=Cohen |title=Facebook Just Extended Reactions to Comments |url=http://www.adweek.com/digital/facebook-reactions-comments/ |website=Adweek |publisher=Beringer Capital |date=May 3, 2017 |access-date=May 30, 2017}}

File:Facebook Reactions.png

Facebook describes "liking" as an "easy way to let people know that you enjoy it without leaving a comment".{{cite web |title=Liking & Reacting |url=https://www.facebook.com/help/452446998120360 |website=Facebook Help Center |publisher=Facebook |access-date=May 30, 2017}}

After more than a year in testing, which included October 2015 availability in Ireland and Spain,{{cite web |first1=Hope |last1=King |first2=Peter |last2=Taggart |title=Facebook adds 'Reactions' to Like button feature |url=https://money.cnn.com/2015/10/08/technology/facebook-reactions-ireland-spain/ |website=CNN Tech |publisher=CNN |date=October 9, 2015 |access-date=May 30, 2017}} Facebook officially rolled out "Reactions" to users worldwide on February 24, 2016. The feature allows users to long-press on the like button to get options between five pre-defined emotions ranging from "Love", "Haha", "Wow", "Sad", and "Angry".{{cite web |first=Casey |last=Newton |title=Facebook rolls out expanded Like button reactions around the world |url=https://www.theverge.com/2016/2/24/11094374/facebook-reactions-like-button |website=The Verge |publisher=Vox Media |date=February 24, 2016 |access-date=May 30, 2017}}{{cite journal |first=Liz |last=Stinson |title=Facebook Reactions, the Totally Redesigned Like Button, Is Here |url=https://www.wired.com/2016/02/facebook-reactions-totally-redesigned-like-button |journal=Wired |publisher=Condé Nast |date=February 24, 2016 |access-date=May 30, 2017}} In June 2017, in celebration of Pride month, Facebook introduced a rainbow flag as part of its Reactions options.{{cite web |first=Napier |last=Lopez |title=Facebook celebrates Pride month with rainbow reaction, frames, and filters |url=https://thenextweb.com/facebook/2017/06/05/1051605/ |website=The Next Web |date=June 5, 2017 |access-date=June 10, 2017}}{{cite web |first=Brandi |last=Neal |title=How To Get The Facebook Rainbow Pride Reaction & Celebrate Online In Style |url=https://www.bustle.com/p/how-to-get-the-facebook-rainbow-pride-reaction-celebrate-online-in-style-63553 |website=Bustle |date=June 10, 2017 |access-date=June 10, 2017}}{{cite web |first=Russell |last=Holly |title=How to get the Pride flag reaction on Facebook |url=https://www.androidcentral.com/how-get-pride-flag-reaction-facebook |website=Android Central |publisher=Mobile Nations |date=June 9, 2017 |access-date=June 10, 2017}}

The design of the reactions was updated in April 2019, with more frames comprising the icons' animations as well as a general graphical overhaul.{{Cite web|url=https://www.digitalinformationworld.com/2019/04/facebook-is-experimenting-with-a-new-set-of-3d-reactions.html|title=Facebook Reactions to Get a Make-over including Better Animation|date=April 28, 2019 |access-date=2019-05-01}} The reactions were first shown off by reverse engineering expert Jane Manchun Wong on Twitter,{{Cite web|url=https://twitter.com/wongmjane/status/1121861206363402240|title=Facebook is testing new Reaction animationspic.twitter.com/OTR9RJuzya|last=Wong|first=Jane Manchun|date=2019-04-26|website=@wongmjane|language=en|access-date=2019-05-01}} with mixed reactions both as replies and on Facebook itself.

In September 2019 it was revealed that Facebook is conducting a trial in Australia to hide the like count on posts. {{Cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/rachelsandler/2019/09/27/whither-the-facebook-like-count-company-tries-hiding-it-in-australia/|title=Whither The Facebook Like Count? Company Tries Hiding It In Australia|last=Sandler|first=Rachel|website=Forbes|language=en|access-date=2019-09-30}}

In 2020 during the COVID-19 outbreak, a "Care" reaction was added to Facebook.{{cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/4/17/21224805/facebook-care-reaction-like-button-messenger-app |title=Facebook adds a 'care' reaction to the like button |date=2020-04-17 |last=Lyles |first=Taylor |website=The Verge}}

During a public Q&A session in December 2014, CEO Mark Zuckerberg answered questions regarding the public's wish to have a "dislike" button on Facebook. Zuckerberg said: "There's something that's just so simple about the 'like' button' ... but giving people more ways of expressing more emotions would be powerful. We need to figure out the right way to do it so it ends up being a force for good, not a force for bad and demeaning the posts that people are putting out there." While suggesting the comment field for users who feel the like button is not appropriate, he said that Facebook had "no plans" to introduce a dislike button.{{cite web |first=Chris |last=Johnston |title=No dislike button for Facebook, declares Zuckerberg |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/dec/12/no-dislike-button-for-facebook-declares-zuckerberg |website=The Guardian |date=December 12, 2014 |access-date=May 31, 2017}}

In a new Q&A in September 2015, Zuckerberg said that Facebook was working on an "empathy button", such as for showing support to victims of tragedies. He further commented that "People aren't looking for an ability to downvote other people's posts. What they really want is to be able to express empathy. Not every moment is a good moment, right? And if you are sharing something that is sad, whether it's something in current events like the refugee crisis that touches you or if a family member passed away, then it might not feel comfortable to Like that post."{{cite web |first=Josh |last=Constine |title=Facebook Is Building An Empathy Button, Not "Dislike". Here's How It Could Work |url=https://techcrunch.com/2015/09/15/the-sorry-button/ |website=TechCrunch |publisher=AOL |date=September 15, 2015 |access-date=May 31, 2017}} In February 2016, Facebook announced its "Reactions", offering different ways for users to interact with posts through the like button, including "Love", "Haha", "Wow", "Sad", and "Angry", with the later addition of "Care" in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.{{Cite web|title=👍 Facebook Emoji List — Emojis and Reacts for Facebook [Updated: May 2020] Emoji List|url=https://emojipedia.org/facebook/|access-date=2022-02-07|website=Emojipedia|language=en}}

{{Further|Facebook Platform}}

The Like button is one of Facebook's social plug-ins, which are features for websites outside Facebook as part of its Open Graph.{{cite web |first=MG |last=Siegler |title=Facebook: We'll Serve 1 Billion Likes On The Web In Just 24 Hours |url=https://techcrunch.com/2010/04/21/facebook-like-button/ |website=TechCrunch |publisher=AOL |date=April 21, 2010 |access-date=May 30, 2017}}{{cite magazine |first=Dan |last=Fletcher |title=Facebook Looks to Get Personal |url=http://content.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1983721,00.html |magazine=Time |date=April 22, 2010 |access-date=May 30, 2017}} Speaking at the company's F8 developer conference on April 21, 2010, the day of the launch, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said "We are building a Web where the default is social".{{cite web |first=Erick |last=Schonfeld |title=Zuckerberg: "We Are Building A Web Where The Default Is Social" |url=https://techcrunch.com/2010/04/21/zuckerbergs-buildin-web-default-social/ |website=TechCrunch |publisher=AOL |date=April 21, 2010 |access-date=May 30, 2017}} The like button is implemented similarly to an advertising network, in that as more sites participate, Facebook is given a vast amount of information about who visits which websites and in what time period. When loading a website that has the like button enabled, the user's web browser connects to Facebook's servers, which record which website was visited, and by what user.{{cite web |first=Tom |last=Simonite |title=Facebook's Like Buttons Will Soon Track Your Web Browsing to Target Ads |url=https://www.technologyreview.com/s/541351/facebooks-like-buttons-will-soon-track-your-web-browsing-to-target-ads/ |website=MIT Technology Review |publisher=Massachusetts Institute of Technology |date=September 16, 2015 |access-date=May 30, 2017}}

A week after the release of the social plugins, Facebook announced that 50,000 websites had installed the features, including the like button.{{cite web |first=Jason |last=Kincaid |title=50,000 Websites Have Already Integrated Facebook's New Social Plugins |url=https://techcrunch.com/2010/04/28/50000-websites-have-already-integrated-facebooks-new-social-plugins/ |website=TechCrunch |publisher=AOL |date=April 28, 2010 |access-date=May 31, 2017}} Five months later, the number had increased to 2 million websites.{{cite web |first=Leena |last=Rao |title=Five Months In, 2 Million Websites Using Facebook's New Social Plugins |url=https://techcrunch.com/2010/09/29/five-months-in-2-million-websites-using-facebooks-new-social-plugins/ |website=TechCrunch |publisher=AOL |date=September 29, 2010 |access-date=May 31, 2017}}

In December 2010 and in the United States, Microsoft's Bing search engine partnered with Facebook to identify which links in search results have been "liked" by the searcher's Facebook friends.{{cite web |first=Sara |last=Yin |title=Microsoft Adds Facebook 'Likes' to Bing Search Results |url=https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2374385,00.asp |website=PC Magazine |publisher=Ziff Davis |date=December 15, 2010 |access-date=May 30, 2017}}{{cite web |first=Adam |last=Ostrow |title=Facebook and Bing's Plan to Make Search Social |url=http://mashable.com/2010/10/13/facebook-bing-social-search/ |website=Mashable |date=October 13, 2010 |access-date=May 30, 2017}}

The number of "likes" on Facebook can serve as a measurement of interest and/or popularity in a particular brand, product or personality, though there have also been reports of the "overblown importance" of likes.{{cite web |first=Jayson |last=DeMers |title=Quality Over Quantity: The Overblown Importance Of Likes And Followers |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/jaysondemers/2014/10/20/quality-over-quantity-the-overblown-importance-of-likes-and-followers/ |website=Forbes |date=October 20, 2014 |access-date=May 30, 2017}} Due to social media's influence in shaping reputations,{{cite magazine |title=The 30 Most Influential People on the Internet |url=https://time.com/3732203/the-30-most-influential-people-on-the-internet/ |magazine=Time |date=March 5, 2015 |access-date=May 30, 2017}} there exist companies specializing in selling "likes" from fake accounts.{{cite web |first=Jim |last=Edwards |title=Facebook Advertisers Complain Of A Wave Of Fake Likes Rendering Their Pages Useless |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-advertising-fake-likes-2014-2 |website=Business Insider |publisher=Axel Springer SE |date=February 11, 2014 |access-date=May 30, 2017}} This has caused issues for companies advertising on Facebook, due to receiving an abundance of likes without credibility that distort actual user metrics. Facebook's Terms of Service agreement states that users are only allowed to have one personal page,{{cite web |title=Statement of Rights and Responsibilities |url=https://www.facebook.com/terms |publisher=Facebook |date=January 30, 2015 |access-date=May 30, 2017}} and it has an ongoing "war" against fake accounts.{{cite web |first=Jim |last=Edwards |title=Facebook Targets 76 Million Fake Users In War On Bogus Accounts |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-targets-76-million-fake-users-in-war-on-bogus-accounts-2013-2 |website=Business Insider |publisher=Axel Springer SE |date=March 5, 2013 |access-date=May 30, 2017}}{{cite web |title=Facebook wages war on dummy accounts in an effort to curb fake news |url=https://thenextweb.com/facebook/2017/04/14/facebook-fake-accounts-misinformation/ |website=The Next Web |date=April 14, 2017 |access-date=May 30, 2017}} A May 2015 estimate put the number of fake accounts at 170 million,{{cite web |first=James |last=Parsons |title=Facebook's War Continues Against Fake Profiles and Bots |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/james-parsons/facebooks-war-continues-against-fake-profiles-and-bots_b_6914282.html |website=HuffPost |publisher=AOL |date=May 22, 2015 |access-date=May 30, 2017}} and a Symantec study in September 2011 found that 15% of 3.5 million video posts were made through fake likes.{{cite web |first=Emil |last=Protalinski |title=Symantec finds 15% of Facebook videos are likejacking attacks |url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/symantec-finds-15-of-facebook-videos-are-likejacking-attacks/ |website=ZDNet |publisher=CBS Interactive |date=September 5, 2011 |access-date=May 30, 2017}}

A content analysis highlights that the "like" reaction is likely to decrease the organic reach of the given Facebook post as a "brake effect". Facebook users often apply this interaction button, perhaps this is why Facebook may use "like" reaction as a negative element in algorithmic content ranking.{{Cite journal|last1=Pócs|first1=Dávid|last2=Adamovits|first2=Otília|last3=Watti|first3=Jezdancher|last4=Kovács|first4=Róbert|last5=Kelemen|first5=Oguz|date=2021-06-21|title=Facebook Users' Interactions, Organic Reach, and Engagement in a Smoking Cessation Intervention: Content Analysis|journal=Journal of Medical Internet Research|language=en|volume=23|issue=6|pages=e27853|doi=10.2196/27853|pmid=34152280|pmc=8277334|issn=1438-8871|doi-access=free}}

File:Open letter to Facebook demanding civil rights changes 20100616.pdf

Social network like buttons on websites other than their own are often used as web beacons to track user activities for targeted advertising such as behavioral targeting combined with personally identifiable information, and may be considered a breach of Internet privacy.{{cite web |first=Declan |last=McCullagh |author-link=Declan McCullagh |title=Facebook 'Like' button draws privacy scrutiny |url=https://www.cnet.com/news/facebook-like-button-draws-privacy-scrutiny/ |website=CNET |publisher=CBS Interactive |date=June 2, 2010 |access-date=May 30, 2017}}{{cite SSRN |ssrn=1717563 |title=Facebook Tracks and Traces Everyone: Like This! |last=Roosendaal |first=Arnold |date=November 30, 2010}}{{cite web |first=Cotton |last=Delo |title=Facebook to Use Web Browsing History For Ad Targeting |url=http://adage.com/article/digital/facebook-web-browsing-history-ad-targeting/293656/ |website=Advertising Age |publisher=Crain Communications |date=June 12, 2014 |access-date=May 30, 2017}} In June 2010, the American Civil Liberties Union, Center for Democracy and Technology, Center for Digital Democracy, Consumer Action, Consumer Watchdog, Electronic Frontier Foundation, Electronic Privacy Information Center, Privacy Activism, Privacy Lives, and Privacy Rights Clearinghouse sent an open letter to Facebook requesting that it "Do not retain data about specific visitors to third party sites that incorporate "social plugins" or the "like" button, unless the site visitor chooses to interact with those tools."{{cite web |first=Geoff |last=Duncan |title=Open letter urges Facebook to strengthen privacy |url=https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/open-letter-urges-facebook-to-strengthen-privacy/ |website=Digital Trends |date=June 17, 2010 |access-date=May 30, 2017}}{{cite web |first=Ian |last=Paul |title=Advocacy Groups Ask Facebook for More Privacy Changes |url=http://www.pcworld.com/article/199099/facebook_privacy_fixes.html |website=PC World |publisher=International Data Group |date=June 17, 2010 |access-date=May 30, 2017}}

Multiple governments have also launched investigations into the activity. In September 2010, then-Privacy Commissioner of Canada Jennifer Stoddart announced new investigations against Facebook, alleging that the like button's appearance outside Facebook violates Canada's privacy laws.{{cite web |title=Facebook privacy probed over 'like,' invitations |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/facebook-privacy-probed-over-like-invitations-1.968585 |website=CBC News |publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation |date=September 23, 2010 |access-date=May 30, 2017}} In August 2011, the German Data Protection Commissioner's Office ordered federal agencies to stop using Facebook and remove the like button from their websites.{{cite web |first=Chloe |last=Albanesius |title=German Agencies Banned From Using Facebook, 'Like' Button |url=https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2391440,00.asp |website=PC Magazine |publisher=Ziff Davis |date=August 19, 2011 |access-date=May 30, 2017}} In November 2015, the government of Belgium gave Facebook 48 hours to cease tracking people who were not signed into Facebook, or else receive a daily fine of EUR€250,000,{{cite web |first=Julia |last=Fioretti |title=Facebook to appeal Belgian ruling ordering it to stop tracking non-users |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-facebook-belgium-idUSKCN0SY27220151109 |website=Reuters |publisher=Thomson Reuters |date=November 9, 2015 |access-date=May 30, 2017}} to which Facebook said it would appeal.{{cite web |title=Belgian court orders Facebook to stop tracking non-members |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/nov/10/belgian-court-orders-facebook-to-stop-tracking-non-members |website=The Guardian |date=November 10, 2015 |access-date=May 30, 2017}}

In its defense, Facebook told CNET in June 2010 that information on who visited which websites is anonymized after three months, and is not shared with or sold to third parties.

In 2009, Sheriff B.J. Roberts of Hampton, Virginia fired several employees who had "liked" his rival's Facebook page during the sheriff's election. One of the employees fought back in court, with the argument that a "like" should be protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution about free speech.{{cite web |first=Doug |last=Gross |title=Virginia deputy fights his firing over a Facebook 'like' |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2012/08/10/tech/social-media/deputy-fired-facebook-like/ |website=CNN |date=August 13, 2012 |access-date=May 31, 2017}}{{cite news |first=Justin |last=Jouvenal |title=A Facebook court battle: Is 'liking' something protected free speech? |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/crime/a-facebook-court-battle-is-liking-something-protected-free-speech/2012/08/08/538314fe-e179-11e1-ae7f-d2a13e249eb2_story.html |newspaper=The Washington Post |publisher=Nash Holdings LLC |date=August 8, 2012 |access-date=May 31, 2017}} In September 2013, a federal appeals court ruled that "likes" are a form of protected speech under the amendment, commenting that "On the most basic level, clicking on the 'like' button literally causes to be published the statement that the User 'likes' something, which is itself a substantive statement. In the context of a political campaign's page, the meaning that the user approves of the candidacy whose page is being liked is unmistakable. That a user may use a single mouse click to produce that message that he likes the page instead of typing the same message with several individual key strokes is of no constitutional significance."{{cite news |first=Brian |last=Fung |title=Your Facebook 'Like' is constitutionally protected speech |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2013/09/18/your-facebook-like-is-constitutionally-protected-speech/ |newspaper=The Washington Post |publisher=Nash Holdings LLC |date=September 18, 2013 |access-date=May 31, 2017}}{{cite web |first=Jonathan |last=Stempel |title=Facebook 'like' deserves free speech protection: U.S. court |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/net-us-usa-speech-facebook-idUSBRE98H0X620130918 |website=Reuters |publisher=Thomson Reuters |date=September 18, 2013 |access-date=May 31, 2017}}

In 2014, Social@Ogilvy, a division of the advertising agency Ogilvy & Mather, published a widely cited{{cite web |first=Will |last=Oremus |title=Facebook's Like Affair With Brands Is Over |url=http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2014/03/24/facebook_brands_and_organic_reach_why_no_one_likes_your_self_promoting_posts.html |website=Slate |publisher=The Slate Group |date=March 24, 2014 |access-date=May 30, 2017}}{{cite web |first=Matt |last=Kapko |title=Facebook's Declining Organic Reach a 'Real Nightmare' for Marketers |url=http://www.cio.com/article/2377363/social-media/facebook-s-declining-organic-reach-a--real-nightmare--for-marketers.html |website=CIO |publisher=International Data Group |date=April 4, 2014 |access-date=May 30, 2017}}{{cite web |first=Cotton |last=Delo |title=Brands' Organic Facebook Reach Has Crashed Since October: Study |url=http://adage.com/article/digital/brands-organic-facebook-reach-crashed-october/292004/ |website=Advertising Age |publisher=Crain Communications |date=March 6, 2014 |access-date=May 30, 2017}}{{cite web |first=Ewan |last=Spence |title=The Approaching Demise Of Organic Reach In Facebook |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/ewanspence/2014/03/06/the-approaching-demise-of-organic-reach-in-facebook/ |website=Forbes |date=March 6, 2014 |access-date=May 30, 2017}}{{cite journal |first=Richard L. |last=Tso |title=Why Facebook's Move to End Organic Search Isn't Surprising |url=http://archive.wired.com/insights/2014/04/facebooks-move-end-organic-search-isnt-surprising |journal=Wired |publisher=Condé Nast |date=April 14, 2014 |access-date=May 30, 2017}} white paper titled "Facebook Zero: Considering Life After the Demise of Organic Reach", documenting Facebook's restriction of content published from businesses' and brands' Pages. The zero refers to the projected percentage of any given Page's followers, or "Likers", who are able to see posts from that Page in their personal News Feeds. The paper's author observes that adjustments in Facebook algorithms have reduced organic reach for non-paying business pages (that have at least 500,000 Likes) from 16 percent in 2012 down to 2 percent in February 2014.{{cite web |first=Marshall |last=Manson |title=Facebook Zero: Considering Life After the Demise of Organic Reach |url=https://social.ogilvy.com/facebook-zero-considering-life-after-the-demise-of-organic-reach/ |website=Social@Ogilvy |publisher=Ogilvy & Mather |date=March 6, 2014 |access-date=May 30, 2017}}

A lawsuit was filed in 2010 claiming that Facebook should not allow minors to "like" advertising. Facebook said the suit was "completely without merit".{{cite web |first=Erick |last=Schonfeld |title=Lawsuit Says Teens Should Not Be Allowed To Like Ads On Facebook |url=https://techcrunch.com/2010/08/27/lawsuit-teens-facebook-like/ |website=TechCrunch |publisher=AOL |date=August 27, 2010 |access-date=May 30, 2017}}

Research shows that Facebook likes can be automatically processed to infer intimate details about an individual, such as sexual orientation, political and religious views, race, substance use, intelligence, and personality. Effectively, individual views and preferences can be revealed even if they were not directly expressed or indicated by liking associated content.{{cite journal|last=Kosinski|first=Michal|author2=Stillwell, D. |author3=Graepel, T. |title=Private traits and attributes are predictable from digital records of human behavior|journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences|year=2013|volume=110|issue=15|pages=5802–5805|doi=10.1073/pnas.1218772110|pmid=23479631|pmc=3625324|bibcode=2013PNAS..110.5802K|doi-access=free}}

In February 2013, legal action was brought against Facebook by patent-holding company Rembrandt Social Media. Rembrandt owns several patents taken out by Dutch programmer Joannes Jozef Everardus van der Meer, who died in 2004.{{cite web |first=Joe |last=Mullin |title=Before Facebook there was "Surfbook"—now pay up |url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2013/02/before-facebook-there-was-surfbook-now-pay-up/ |website=Ars Technica |publisher=Condé Nast |date=February 8, 2013 |access-date=May 30, 2017}} These include patents filed in 1998 relating to Van der Meer's fledgling social network Surfbook, including, according to legal papers filed by the patent holder, the ability for users to approve data using a "like" button.{{cite web |title=Facebook sued over 'like' button |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-21411622 |website=BBC News |publisher=BBC |date=February 11, 2013 |access-date=May 30, 2017}}

In June 2017, in celebration of Pride month, Facebook introduced a rainbow flag as part of its Reactions options. However, access to the rainbow reaction depends on location. For "major markets with Pride celebrations", the Pride reaction is available by default, while in other areas, "liking" Facebook's LGBTQ page enables the feature. In areas where homosexuality is illegal, the feature is not available at all.{{cite web |first=Jillian |last=York |title=Facebook Celebrates Pride, Except Where Homosexuality Is Illegal |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/facebook-celebrates-pride-except-where-homosexuality-is-illegal/ |website=Motherboard |publisher=Vice |date=June 20, 2017 |access-date=June 22, 2017}} This sparked debate, with Jillian York of Vice{{'}}s Motherboard writing that "If Facebook's goal is to make the world more open and connected, it could start by treating queer communities with equality", and Tristan Greene of The Next Web writing that "What I don't understand, Facebook, is why you're limiting these things at all? Is there a premium on memory where you can only have so many rainbows before we have to shut Facebook down in the Eastern Hemisphere?"{{cite web |first=Tristan |last=Greene |title=Facebook's Pride reaction should be available to everyone |url=https://thenextweb.com/facebook/2017/06/21/facebook-restricts-pride-reactions-in-places-where-lgbtq-have-enough-limits/ |website=The Next Web |date=June 21, 2017 |access-date=June 22, 2017}} In a blog post, Facebook stated that the different levels of access was necessary "because this is a new experience we've been testing", although user feedback has questioned this line of thinking by pointing to earlier temporary reactions, including dedicated Halloween and Mother's Day reactions, that were available to all users despite not everyone celebrating.{{cite web |first=Sarah |last=Kessler |title=Facebook's "Pride button" appears to be rolling out in a way that is culturally sensitive to bigots |url=https://qz.com/1009591/facebooks-pride-button-appears-to-be-rolling-out-in-a-way-that-is-culturally-sensitive-to-bigots-fb/ |website=Quartz |publisher=Atlantic Media |date=June 19, 2017 |access-date=June 22, 2017}}

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