Principles Principles

Facebook Principles

We are building Facebook to make the world more open and transparent, which we believe will create greater understanding and connection. Facebook promotes openness and transparency by giving individuals greater power to share and connect, and certain principles guide Facebook in pursuing these goals. Achieving these principles should be constrained only by limitations of law, technology, and evolving social norms. We therefore establish these Principles as the foundation of the rights and responsibilities of those within the Facebook Service.

1. Freedom to Share and Connect
   People should have the freedom to share whatever information they want, in any medium and any format, and have the right to connect online with anyone - any person, organization or service - as long as they both consent to the connection.
2. Ownership and Control of Information
   People should own their information. They should have the freedom to share it with anyone they want and take it with them anywhere they want, including removing it from the Facebook Service. People should have the freedom to decide with whom they will share their information, and to set privacy controls to protect those choices. Those controls, however, are not capable of limiting how those who have received information may use it, particularly outside the Facebook Service.
3. Free Flow of Information
   People should have the freedom to access all of the information made available to them by others. People should also have practical tools that make it easy, quick, and efficient to share and access this information.
4. Fundamental Equality
   Every Person - whether individual, advertiser, developer, organization, or other entity - should have representation and access to distribution and information within the Facebook Service, regardless of the Person's primary activity. There should be a single set of principles, rights, and responsibilities that should apply to all People using the Facebook Service.
5. Social Value
   People should have the freedom to build trust and reputation through their identity and connections, and should not have their presence on the Facebook Service removed for reasons other than those described in Facebook's Statement of Rights and Responsibilities.
6. Open Platforms and Standards
   People should have programmatic interfaces for sharing and accessing the information available to them. The specifications for these interfaces should be published and made available and accessible to everyone.
7. Fundamental Service
   People should be able to use Facebook for free to establish a presence, connect with others, and share information with them. Every Person should be able to use the Facebook Service regardless of his or her level of participation or contribution.
8. Common Welfare
   The rights and responsibilities of Facebook and the People that use it should be described in a Statement of Rights and Responsibilities, which should not be inconsistent with these Principles.
9. Transparent Process
   Facebook should publicly make available information about its purpose, plans, policies, and operations. Facebook should have a town hall process of notice and comment and a system of voting to encourage input and discourse on amendments to these Principles or to the Rights and Responsibilities.
10. One World
    The Facebook Service should transcend geographic and national boundaries and be available to everyone in the world.

Principles Principles

Facebook Principles

We are building Facebook to make the world more open and transparent, which we believe will create greater understanding and connection. Facebook promotes openness and transparency by giving individuals greater power to share and connect, and certain principles guide Facebook in pursuing these goals. Achieving these principles should be constrained only by limitations of law, technology, and evolving social norms. We therefore establish these Principles as the foundation of the rights and responsibilities of those within the Facebook Service.

1. Freedom to Share and Connect
   People should have the freedom to share whatever information they want, in any medium and any format, and have the right to connect online with anyone - any person, organization or service - as long as they both consent to the connection.
2. Ownership and Control of Information
   People should own their information. They should have the freedom to share it with anyone they want and take it with them anywhere they want, including removing it from the Facebook Service. People should have the freedom to decide with whom they will share their information, and to set privacy controls to protect those choices. Those controls, however, are not capable of limiting how those who have received information may use it, particularly outside the Facebook Service.
3. Free Flow of Information
   People should have the freedom to access all of the information made available to them by others. People should also have practical tools that make it easy, quick, and efficient to share and access this information.
4. Fundamental Equality
   Every Person - whether individual, advertiser, developer, organization, or other entity - should have representation and access to distribution and information within the Facebook Service, regardless of the Person's primary activity. There should be a single set of principles, rights, and responsibilities that should apply to all People using the Facebook Service.
5. Social Value
   People should have the freedom to build trust and reputation through their identity and connections, and should not have their presence on the Facebook Service removed for reasons other than those described in Facebook's Statement of Rights and Responsibilities.
6. Open Platforms and Standards
   People should have programmatic interfaces for sharing and accessing the information available to them. The specifications for these interfaces should be published and made available and accessible to everyone.
7. Fundamental Service
   People should be able to use Facebook for free to establish a presence, connect with others, and share information with them. Every Person should be able to use the Facebook Service regardless of his or her level of participation or contribution.
8. Common Welfare
   The rights and responsibilities of Facebook and the People that use it should be described in a Statement of Rights and Responsibilities, which should not be inconsistent with these Principles.
9. Transparent Process
   Facebook should publicly make available information about its purpose, plans, policies, and operations. Facebook should have a town hall process of notice and comment and a system of voting to encourage input and discourse on amendments to these Principles or to the Rights and Responsibilities.
10. One World
    The Facebook Service should transcend geographic and national boundaries and be available to everyone in the world.

Advertising Guideliness Advertising Guideliness

Date of last revision: April 10, 2012

Facebook Advertising Guidelines

Advertising Philosophy

At Facebook, we believe that ads should contribute to and be consistent with the overall user experience. The best ads are those that are tailored to individuals based on how they and their friends interact and affiliate with the brands, artists, and businesses they care about. These guidelines are not intended to serve as legal advice and adherence to these guidelines does not necessarily constitute legal compliance. Advertisers are responsible for ensuring that their ads comply with all applicable laws, statutes, and regulations.

Additional examples and explanations to our policies can be found in the Help Center.

I.    General

A.    Our Advertising Guidelines consist of advertising content criteria, community standards, and other applicable requirements.

B.    The Ad Guidelines, as well as our Data Use Policy and Statement of Rights and Responsibilities, apply to all ads and commercial content (“ads”) served by or appearing on Facebook (including ads purchased under AAAA/IAB Standard Terms and Conditions).

C.    Advertising appearing within applications on Facebook Platform must comply with all additional Facebook Platform Policies.

D.    Ads that are generated through Page posts, and ads that promote a sweepstakes, contest, competition or offer must also comply with the Pages Terms.

E.    Ads must not contain false, misleading, fraudulent, or deceptive claims or content.

F.    You may not manage more than one advertiser or client through a single ad account, and may not change the advertiser or client associated with an established ad account.

G.    If you use custom audiences you must comply with the Custom Audience Terms.

II.    Data and Privacy

A.    No data collected, derived or obtained from or in connection with a Facebook ad, including Facebook’s delivery of an ad, and Facebook users’ interaction with a Facebook-served ad (such as information derived from targeting criteria) (“Facebook advertising data”) may be received or used by an entity not acting on behalf of a Facebook advertiser.

B.    You may not use Facebook advertising data for any purpose (including retargeting, commingling data across multiple advertisers’ campaigns, building or augmenting user profiles, or allowing piggybacking or redirecting with tags), except on an aggregate and anonymous basis to assess the performance and effectiveness of your Facebook advertising campaigns.

C.    You may use information provided directly to you from users if you provide clear notice to and obtain consent from those users and comply with all applicable laws and industry guidelines.

D.    You may not directly or indirectly transfer or sell any data to, or use such data in connection with any ad network, ad exchange, data broker, or other party not acting on behalf of an advertiser and the advertiser’s Facebook advertising campaigns. By indirectly we mean you cannot, for example, transfer data to a third party who then transfers the data to an ad network.

III.    Ad Creative and Positioning

All components of an ad, including any text, images, or other media, must be relevant and appropriate to the product or service being offered and the audience viewing the ad. Ads may not contain audio or flash animation that plays automatically without a user's interaction. Ads may not position products or services in a sexually suggestive manner. Ads may not contain content that exploits political agendas or "hot button" issues for commercial use. Additionally, ad text must include proper grammar and the use of all symbols, numbers, or letters must adhere to the true meaning of the symbol.

A.    Accuracy

Ads must clearly represent the company, product, service, or brand that is being advertised. Products and services promoted in the ad copy must be clearly represented on the landing page, and the destination site may not offer or link to any prohibited product or service. Additionally, ads may not suggest false relevancy to generic offers.

B.    Attribution

Ad text may not assert or imply, directly or indirectly, within the ad content or by targeting, a user's personal characteristics within the following categories:

i.    race or ethnic origin;

ii.    religion or philosophical belief;

iii.    age;

iv.    sexual orientation or sexual life;

v.    gender identity;

vi.    disability or medical condition (including physical or mental health);

vii.    financial status or information;

viii.    membership in a trade union; and

ix.    criminal record.

C.    Destination Sites

Ads must lead to a functioning landing page that does not interfere with a user's ability to navigate away from the page.

D.    Images

Ads and sponsored stories in News Feed may not include images comprised of more than 20% text.

E.    Targeting

Ads must always apply appropriate targeting and never use targeting criteria to provoke users. Ads for regulated goods and services (e.g. alcohol and gambling), must abide by all applicable laws, regulations, and industry codes. Specific requirements for dating services, alcohol, gambling, contraceptives and subscription services must adhere to the requirements listed in the Help Center under the applicable content sections.

IV.    Ad Content

Advertisers must ensure that their ads comply with all applicable laws, regulations and guidelines. All claims in ads must be adequately substantiated. Ads must not offend users. Ads and any offers promoted within ads must not be false, deceptive or misleading or contain spam. Ads must not contain or promote illegal products or services. Ads must not violate the rights of any third parties. The following specific content guidelines apply:

A.    Adult Products

Ads may not promote the sale or use of adult products or services, including but not limited to toys, videos, publications, live shows, or sexual enhancement products. Ads for family planning and contraception are allowed provided they follow the appropriate targeting requirements.

B.    Alcohol

i.    Ads that promote or reference alcohol are prohibited in the following countries: Afghanistan, Brunei, Bangladesh, Egypt, Gambia, Kuwait, Libya, Norway, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen and any other jurisdiction where such ads are prohibited by law.

ii.    Where permissible, ads that promote or reference alcohol must: (i) Comply with all applicable local laws, required or recommended industry codes, guidelines, licenses and approvals and (ii) apply age and country targeting criteria consistent with Facebook's targeting guidelines and applicable local laws. Where a user's age or country cannot be determined, the ad must not be displayed to the user.

iii.    Please refer to the Help Center for additional alcohol-specific guidance.

C.    Dating

Ads for adult friend finders or dating sites with a sexual emphasis are not permitted. Ads for other online dating services must adhere to the dating targeting requirements and the name of the product or service must be included in the ad text or image.

D.    Drugs and Tobacco

Ads may not promote or facilitate the sale or consumption of illegal or recreational drugs, tobacco products, or drug or tobacco paraphernalia.

E.    Gambling and Lotteries

i.    Ads that promote or facilitate online gambling, games of skill or lotteries, including online casino, sports books, bingo, or poker, are only allowed in specific countries with prior authorization from Facebook.

ii.    Lotteries run by government entities may advertise on Facebook, provided that ads must be targeted in accordance with applicable law in the jurisdiction in which the ads will be served and may only target users in the jurisdiction in which the lottery is available.

iii.    Ads that promote offline gambling establishments, such as offline casinos, in accordance with applicable laws and regulations, are generally permitted, provided that ads must be appropriately targeted.

iv.    Please refer to the Help Center for additional gambling-specific guidance.

F.    Pharmaceuticals and Supplements

i.    Ads must not promote the sale of prescription pharmaceuticals. Ads for online pharmacies are prohibited except that ads for certified pharmacies may be permitted with prior approval from Facebook.

ii.    Ads that promote dietary and herbal supplements are generally permitted, provided they do not promote products containing anabolic steroids, chitosan, comfrey, dehydroepiandrosterne, ephedra, human growth hormones, melatonin, and any additional products deemed unsafe or questionable by Facebook in its sole discretion.

G.    Software

Ads may not contain or link directly or indirectly to a site that contains spyware/malware downloads or any software that results in an unexpected, deceptive or unfair user experience, including but not limited to software which:

i.    "sneaks" onto a user's system;

ii.    performs activities hidden to the user;

iii.    may alter, harm, disable or replace any hardware or software installed on a user's computer without express permission from the user;

iv.    is bundled as a hidden component of other software whether free or for an additional fee;

v.    automatically downloads without Facebook's express prior approval;

vi.    presents download dialog boxes without a user's action; or

vii.    may violate or infringe upon the intellectual property rights of any third party, including copyright, trademark, patent or any other proprietary right.

H.    Subscription Services

Ads for subscription services, or that promote products or services that include negative options, automatic renewal, free-to-pay conversion billing products, or mobile marketing are subject to the following requirements:

i.    Ad text must clearly and conspicuously disclose the recurring billing component (e.g. "subscription required").

ii.    The landing page must:

a.    display the price and billing interval wherever the user is prompted to enter personally identifiable information;

b.    include an unchecked opt-in checkbox; and

c.    include language informing users how to cancel their subscription or membership.

iii.    Each of the foregoing must be located in a prominent place on your landing page, as determined by Facebook in its sole discretion, and should be easy to find, read, and understand.

I.    Unacceptable Business Model

Ads may not promote a business model or practice that is deemed by Facebook in its sole discretion to be unacceptable or contrary to Facebook's overall advertising philosophy or to any applicable law, including but not limited to multi-level marketing schemes, or advertisements for scams.

J.    Weapons and Explosives

Ads may not promote the sale or use of weapons, ammunition, or explosives.

V.    Ad Community Standards

Ads, or categories of ads, that receive a significant amount of negative user feedback, or are otherwise deemed to violate our community standards, are prohibited and may be removed. In all cases, Facebook reserves the right in its sole discretion to determine whether particular content is in violation of our community standards.

A.    Illegal Activity

Ads may not constitute, facilitate or promote illegal activity.

B.    Harassment

Ads may not insult, attack, harass, bully, threaten, demean or impersonate others.

C.    Hate Speech

Ads may not contain "hate speech," whether directed at an individual or a group, based on membership within certain categories. These categories include, but are not limited to, race, sex, creed, national origin, religious affiliation, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or language.

D.    Minors

Ads that are targeted to minors may not promote products or services that are illegal for use by minors in their jurisdiction, or that are deemed to be unsafe or inappropriate.

E.    Sex/Nudity

Ads may not contain adult content, including nudity, depictions of people in explicit or suggestive positions, or activities that are overly suggestive or sexually provocative.

F.    Shock Value

Ads may not be shocking, sensational or disrespectful, or portray excessive violence.

VI.    Facebook References

Ads may not imply a Facebook endorsement or partnership of any kind. Ads linking to Facebook branded content (including Pages, groups, events, or Connect sites) may make limited reference to "Facebook" in ad text for the purpose of clarifying the destination of the ad. All other ads and landing pages may not use our copyrights or trademarks (including Facebook, the Facebook and F Logos, FB, Face, Poke, Book, and Wall) or any confusingly similar marks, except as expressly permitted by our Brand Usage Guidelines or with our prior written permission.

VII.    Rights of Others

Ads may not include content that infringes upon or violates the rights of any third party, including copyright, trademark, privacy, publicity, or other personal or proprietary rights.

We reserve the right to reject, approve or remove any ad for any reason, in our sole discretion, including ads that negatively affect our relationship with our users or that promote content, services, or activities, contrary to our competitive position, interests, or advertising philosophy. These guidelines are subject to change at any time.

Page Guideliness Page Guideliness

Date of Last Revision: May 14, 2013

 

Facebook Pages Terms

The following terms, as well as our Data Use Policy and Statement of Rights and Responsibilities, apply to all Pages on Facebook. Additionally, all content on Pages must comply with our Community Standards.

I.    General

A.    Only authorized representatives may administer a Page for a brand, entity (place or organization), or public figure.

B.    Any user may create a Page to express support for or interest in a brand, entity (place or organization), or public figure, provided that it is not likely to be confused with an official Page or violate someone's rights.

C.    Content posted to a Page is public and viewable by everyone who can see the Page.

D.    You are required to restrict access to Pages (through our gating functionality) as necessary to comply with applicable laws and Facebook policies, including our Advertising Guidelines and Community Standards.

E.    You may not establish terms for your Page that conflict with our Statement of Rights and Responsibilities, Data Use Policy or these terms.

II.    Page Management

A.    Page Names and Facebook Web Addresses

Page names and Facebook Web Addresses must accurately reflect Page content. We may remove administrative rights or require you to change the Page name and Facebook Web Address for any Page that fails to meet this requirement.

Page names must:

i.    not consist solely of generic terms (e.g., “beer” or “pizza”);

ii.    use proper, grammatically correct capitalization and may not include all capitals, except for acronyms;

iii.    not include character symbols, such as excessive punctuation and trademark designations; and

iv.    not include superfluous descriptions or unnecessary qualifiers.

B.    Name Changes and Migrations

We will only process name changes and migrations that do not result in a misleading or unintended connection. For example, we will allow local to global migrations, such as “Facebook France” to “Facebook”, but will not allow global to local migrations, or location to location migrations, such as “Facebook France” to “Facebook Russia”. Additionally, you may not request a name change or migration that would result in re-categorizing a product Page to a brand Page, a generic or opinion Page to a brand Page, or a Group to a Page. All migrations are at our discretion and are final.

C.    Collection of Data

If you collect content and information directly from users, you will make it clear that you (and not Facebook) are collecting it, and you will provide notice about and obtain user consent for your use of the content and information that you collect. Regardless of how you obtain content and information from users, you are responsible for securing all necessary permissions to reuse their content and information.

You will not collect users' content or information, or otherwise access Facebook, using automated means (such as harvesting bots, robots, spiders, or scrapers) without our permission.

Any data you obtain from us must comply with Section II of our Facebook Platform Policies.

III.    Page Features

A.    Advertising on Pages

Ads and commercial content (including Page post content) are subject to the Advertising Guidelines.

Third-party advertisements on Pages are prohibited, without our prior permission.

B.    Cover

All covers are public. This means that anyone who visits your Page will be able to see your cover. Covers can't be deceptive, misleading, or infringe on anyone else's copyright. You may not encourage people to upload your cover to their personal timelines. Covers may not include images with more than 20% text.

C.    Applications on Pages

Apps on your Page must comply with the Facebook Platform Policies.

D.    Offers

If you create an offer using Facebook’s offer creation tool, the following policies apply:

i.    Facebook offers must be available for a limited time.

ii.    You may only run an offer if you are the merchant for or the manufacturer of the product or service you are promoting.

iii.    You must clearly and prominently disclose any restrictions on your offer (such as expiration date or limitations on redemption).

iv.    You are solely responsible for improper redemption, fraud, disputes or other issues that arise from the distribution and/or redemption of your offer.

v.    If your offer may be redeemed at a merchant not operated by you, it is your sole responsibility to communicate with the merchant and ensure they honor your offer.

vi.    You must only use the offer creation tool for its intended functionality and not to promote your website or other contact information, or to offer the equivalent of a gift card, gift certificate or stored value card.

vii.    You are responsible for ensuring that your offer complies with these terms and all applicable laws, rules and regulations. Offers are subject to many regulations (such as alcohol discounts and offers marketed to minors) and if you are not certain that your offer complies with applicable law, consult with an expert.

E.    Promotions

If you use Facebook to communicate about or administer a promotion (such as a contest or sweepstakes), you are responsible for the lawful operation of that promotion, including the official rules, offer terms and eligibility requirements (e.g., age and residency restrictions), and compliance with regulations governing the promotion and all prizes offered in connection with the promotion (e.g., registration and obtaining necessary regulatory approvals). Please note that compliance with these guidelines does not constitute the lawfulness of a promotion. Promotions are subject to many regulations and if you are not certain that your promotion complies with applicable law, please consult with an expert.

i.    Promotions on Facebook must be administered within Apps on Facebook.com, either on a Canvas Page or a Page App.

ii.    Promotions on Facebook must include the following:

a.    A complete release of Facebook by each entrant or participant.

b.    Acknowledgment that the promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook.

c.    Disclosure that the participant is providing information to [disclose recipient(s) of information] and not to Facebook.

iii.    You must not condition registration or entry upon the user taking any action using any Facebook features or functionality other than liking a Page, checking in to a Place, or connecting to your app. For example, you must not condition registration or entry upon the user liking a Wall post, or commenting or uploading a photo on a Wall.

iv.    You must not use Facebook features or functionality as a promotion’s registration or entry mechanism. For example, the act of liking a Page or checking in to a Place cannot automatically register or enter a promotion participant.

v.    You must not use Facebook features or functionality, such as the Like button, as a voting mechanism for a promotion.

vi.    You must not notify winners through Facebook, such as through Facebook messages, chat, or posts on profiles (timelines) or Pages.

vii.    Definitions:

a.    By “administration” we mean the operation of any element of the promotion, such as collecting entries, conducting a drawing, judging entries, or notifying winners.

b.    By “communication” we mean promoting, advertising or referencing a promotion in any way on Facebook, e.g., in ads, on a Page, or in a Wall post.

We reserve the right to reject or remove Pages for any reason. These terms are subject to change at any time.

Terms Terms

This agreement was written in English (US). To the extent any translated version of this agreement conflicts with the English version, the English version controls.  Please note that Section 17 contains certain changes to the general terms for users outside the United States.

Date of Last Revision: December 11, 2012.

Statement of Rights and Responsibilities

This Statement of Rights and Responsibilities ("Statement," "Terms," or "SRR") derives from the Facebook Principles, and is our terms of service that governs our relationship with users and others who interact with Facebook. By using or accessing Facebook, you agree to this Statement, as updated from time to time in accordance with Section 14 below. Additionally, you will find resources at the end of this document that help you understand how Facebook works.

1. Privacy
   
   Your privacy is very important to us. We designed our Data Use Policy to make important disclosures about how you can use Facebook to share with others and how we collect and can use your content and information.  We encourage you to read the Data Use Policy, and to use it to help you make informed decisions.
    
2. Sharing Your Content and Information
   
   You own all of the content and information you post on Facebook, and you can control how it is shared through your privacy and application settings. In addition:
   1. For content that is covered by intellectual property rights, like photos and videos (IP content), you specifically give us the following permission, subject to your privacy and application settings: you grant us a non-exclusive, transferable, sub-licensable, royalty-free, worldwide license to use any IP content that you post on or in connection with Facebook (IP License). This IP License ends when you delete your IP content or your account unless your content has been shared with others, and they have not deleted it.
   2. When you delete IP content, it is deleted in a manner similar to emptying the recycle bin on a computer. However, you understand that removed content may persist in backup copies for a reasonable period of time (but will not be available to others).
   3. When you use an application, the application may ask for your permission to access your content and information as well as content and information that others have shared with you.  We require applications to respect your privacy, and your agreement with that application will control how the application can use, store, and transfer that content and information.  (To learn more about Platform, including how you can control what information other people may share with applications, read our Data Use Policy and Platform Page.)
   4. When you publish content or information using the Public setting, it means that you are allowing everyone, including people off of Facebook, to access and use that information, and to associate it with you (i.e., your name and profile picture).
   5. We always appreciate your feedback or other suggestions about Facebook, but you understand that we may use them without any obligation to compensate you for them (just as you have no obligation to offer them).
       
3. Safety
   
   We do our best to keep Facebook safe, but we cannot guarantee it. We need your help to keep Facebook safe, which includes the following commitments by you:
   1. You will not post unauthorized commercial communications (such as spam) on Facebook.
   2. You will not collect users' content or information, or otherwise access Facebook, using automated means (such as harvesting bots, robots, spiders, or scrapers) without our prior permission.
   3. You will not engage in unlawful multi-level marketing, such as a pyramid scheme, on Facebook.
   4. You will not upload viruses or other malicious code.
   5. You will not solicit login information or access an account belonging to someone else.
   6. You will not bully, intimidate, or harass any user.
   7. You will not post content that: is hate speech, threatening, or pornographic; incites violence; or contains nudity or graphic or gratuitous violence.
   8. You will not develop or operate a third-party application containing alcohol-related, dating or other mature content (including advertisements) without appropriate age-based restrictions.
   9. You will follow our Promotions Guidelines and all applicable laws if you publicize or offer any contest, giveaway, or sweepstakes (“promotion”) on Facebook.
   10. You will not use Facebook to do anything unlawful, misleading, malicious, or discriminatory.
   11. You will not do anything that could disable, overburden, or impair the proper working or appearance of Facebook, such as a denial of service attack or interference with page rendering or other Facebook functionality.
   12. You will not facilitate or encourage any violations of this Statement or our policies.
        
4. Registration and Account Security
   
   Facebook users provide their real names and information, and we need your help to keep it that way. Here are some commitments you make to us relating to registering and maintaining the security of your account:
   1. You will not provide any false personal information on Facebook, or create an account for anyone other than yourself without permission.
   2. You will not create more than one personal account.
   3. If we disable your account, you will not create another one without our permission.
   4. You will not use your personal timeline primarily for your own commercial gain, and will use a Facebook Page for such purposes.
   5. You will not use Facebook if you are under 13.
   6. You will not use Facebook if you are a convicted sex offender.
   7. You will keep your contact information accurate and up-to-date.
   8. You will not share your password (or in the case of developers, your secret key), let anyone else access your account, or do anything else that might jeopardize the security of your account.
   9. You will not transfer your account (including any Page or application you administer) to anyone without first getting our written permission.
   10. If you select a username or similar identifier for your account or Page, we reserve the right to remove or reclaim it if we believe it is appropriate (such as when a trademark owner complains about a username that does not closely relate to a user's actual name).
        
5. Protecting Other People's Rights
   
   We respect other people's rights, and expect you to do the same.
   1. You will not post content or take any action on Facebook that infringes or violates someone else's rights or otherwise violates the law.
   2. We can remove any content or information you post on Facebook if we believe that it violates this Statement or our policies.
   3. We provide you with tools to help you protect your intellectual property rights. To learn more, visit our How to Report Claims of Intellectual Property Infringement page.
   4. If we remove your content for infringing someone else's copyright, and you believe we removed it by mistake, we will provide you with an opportunity to appeal.
   5. If you repeatedly infringe other people's intellectual property rights, we will disable your account when appropriate.
   6. You will not use our copyrights or trademarks (including Facebook, the Facebook and F Logos, FB, Face, Poke, Book and Wall), or any confusingly similar marks, except as expressly permitted by our Brand Usage Guidelines or with our prior written permission.
   7. If you collect information from users, you will: obtain their consent, make it clear you (and not Facebook) are the one collecting their information, and post a privacy policy explaining what information you collect and how you will use it.
   8. You will not post anyone's identification documents or sensitive financial information on Facebook.
   9. You will not tag users or send email invitations to non-users without their consent. Facebook offers social reporting tools to enable users to provide feedback about tagging.
       
6. Mobile and Other Devices
   
   
   1. We currently provide our mobile services for free, but please be aware that your carrier's normal rates and fees, such as text messaging fees, will still apply.
   2. In the event you change or deactivate your mobile telephone number, you will update your account information on Facebook within 48 hours to ensure that your messages are not sent to the person who acquires your old number.
   3. You provide consent and all rights necessary to enable users to sync (including through an application) their devices with any information that is visible to them on Facebook.
       
7. Payments
   
   If you make a payment on Facebook or use Facebook Credits, you agree to our Payments Terms.
    
8. Special Provisions Applicable to Social Plugins
   
   If you include our Social Plugins, such as the Share or Like buttons on your website, the following additional terms apply to you:
   1. We give you permission to use Facebook's Social Plugins so that users can post links or content from your website on Facebook.
   2. You give us permission to use and allow others to use such links and content on Facebook.
   3. You will not place a Social Plugin on any page containing content that would violate this Statement if posted on Facebook.
       
9. Special Provisions Applicable to Developers/Operators of Applications and Websites
   
   If you are a developer or operator of a Platform application or website, the following additional terms apply to you:
   1. You are responsible for your application and its content and all uses you make of Platform. This includes ensuring your application or use of Platform meets our Facebook Platform Policies and our Advertising Guidelines.
   2. Your access to and use of data you receive from Facebook, will be limited as follows:
      1. You will only request data you need to operate your application.
      2. You will have a privacy policy that tells users what user data you are going to use and how you will use, display, share, or transfer that data and you will include your privacy policy URL in the Developer Application.
      3. You will not use, display, share, or transfer a user’s data in a manner inconsistent with your privacy policy.
      4. You will delete all data you receive from us concerning a user if the user asks you to do so, and will provide a mechanism for users to make such a request.
      5. You will not include data you receive from us concerning a user in any advertising creative.
      6. You will not directly or indirectly transfer any data you receive from us to (or use such data in connection with) any ad network, ad exchange, data broker, or other advertising related toolset, even if a user consents to that transfer or use.
      7. You will not sell user data.  If you are acquired by or merge with a third party, you can continue to use user data within your application, but you cannot transfer user data outside of your application. 
      8. We can require you to delete user data if you use it in a way that we determine is inconsistent with users’ expectations.
      9. We can limit your access to data.
      10. You will comply with all other restrictions contained in our Facebook Platform Policies.
   3. You will not give us information that you independently collect from a user or a user's content without that user's consent.
   4. You will make it easy for users to remove or disconnect from your application.
   5. You will make it easy for users to contact you. We can also share your email address with users and others claiming that you have infringed or otherwise violated their rights.
   6. You will provide customer support for your application.
   7. You will not show third party ads or web search boxes on www.facebook.com.
   8. We give you all rights necessary to use the code, APIs, data, and tools you receive from us.
   9. You will not sell, transfer, or sublicense our code, APIs, or tools to anyone.
   10. You will not misrepresent your relationship with Facebook to others.
   11. You may use the logos we make available to developers or issue a press release or other public statement so long as you follow our Facebook Platform Policies.
   12. We can issue a press release describing our relationship with you.
   13. You will comply with all applicable laws. In particular you will (if applicable):
       1. have a policy for removing infringing content and terminating repeat infringers that complies with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.
       2. comply with the Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA), and obtain any opt-in consent necessary from users so that user data subject to the VPPA may be shared on Facebook.  You represent that any disclosure to us will not be incidental to the ordinary course of your business.
   14. We do not guarantee that Platform will always be free.
   15. You give us all rights necessary to enable your application to work with Facebook, including the right to incorporate content and information you provide to us into streams, timelines, and user action stories.
   16. You give us the right to link to or frame your application, and place content, including ads, around your application.
   17. We can analyze your application, content, and data for any purpose, including commercial (such as for targeting the delivery of advertisements and indexing content for search).
   18. To ensure your application is safe for users, we can audit it.
   19. We can create applications that offer similar features and services to, or otherwise compete with, your application.
        
10. About Advertisements and Other Commercial Content Served or Enhanced by Facebook
    
    Our goal is to deliver ads and commercial content that are valuable to our users and advertisers. In order to help us do that, you agree to the following:

    1. You can use your privacy settings to limit how your name and profile picture may be associated with commercial, sponsored, or related content (such as a brand you like) served or enhanced by us. You give us permission to use your name and profile picture in connection with that content, subject to the limits you place.
    2. We do not give your content or information to advertisers without your consent.
    3. You understand that we may not always identify paid services and communications as such.
        
11. Special Provisions Applicable to Advertisers
    
    You can target your desired audience by buying ads on Facebook or our publisher network. The following additional terms apply to you if you place an order through our online advertising portal (Order):
    1. When you place an Order, you will tell us the type of advertising you want to buy, the amount you want to spend, and your bid. If we accept your Order, we will deliver your ads as inventory becomes available. When serving your ad, we do our best to deliver the ads to the audience you specify, although we cannot guarantee in every instance that your ad will reach its intended target.
    2. In instances where we believe doing so will enhance the effectiveness of your advertising campaign, we may broaden the targeting criteria you specify.
    3. You will pay for your Orders in accordance with our Payments Terms. The amount you owe will be calculated based on our tracking mechanisms.
    4. Your ads will comply with our Advertising Guidelines.
    5. We will determine the size, placement, and positioning of your ads.
    6. We do not guarantee the activity that your ads will receive, such as the number of clicks your ads will get.
    7. We cannot control how clicks are generated on your ads. We have systems that attempt to detect and filter certain click activity, but we are not responsible for click fraud, technological issues, or other potentially invalid click activity that may affect the cost of running ads.
    8. You can cancel your Order at any time through our online portal, but it may take up to 24 hours before the ad stops running.  You are responsible for paying for all ads that run.
    9. Our license to run your ad will end when we have completed your Order. You understand, however, that if users have interacted with your ad, your ad may remain until the users delete it.
    10. We can use your ads and related content and information for marketing or promotional purposes.
    11. You will not issue any press release or make public statements about your relationship with Facebook without our prior written permission.
    12. We may reject or remove any ad for any reason.
    13. If you are placing ads on someone else's behalf, you must have permission to place those ads, including the following:
        1. You warrant that you have the legal authority to bind the advertiser to this Statement.
        2. You agree that if the advertiser you represent violates this Statement, we may hold you responsible for that violation.
            
12. Special Provisions Applicable to Pages
    
    If you create or administer a Page on Facebook, or run a promotion or an offer from your Page, you agree to our Pages Terms.
     
13. Special Provisions Applicable to Software
    
    
    1. If you download our software, such as a stand-alone software product or a browser plugin, you agree that from time to time, the software may download upgrades, updates and additional features from us in order to improve, enhance and further develop the software.
    2. You will not modify, create derivative works of, decompile or otherwise attempt to extract source code from us, unless you are expressly permitted to do so under an open source license or we give you express written permission.
    
    
14. Amendments
    
    
    1. Unless we make a change for legal or administrative reasons, or to correct an inaccurate statement, we will provide you with seven (7) days notice (for example, by posting the change on the Facebook Site Governance Page) and an opportunity to comment on changes to this Statement.  You can also visit our Facebook Site Governance Page and "like" the Page to get updates about changes to this Statement.
    2. If we make changes to policies referenced in or incorporated by this Statement, we may provide notice on the Site Governance Page.
    3. Your continued use of Facebook following changes to our terms constitutes your acceptance of our amended terms.
        
15. Termination
    
    If you violate the letter or spirit of this Statement, or otherwise create risk or possible legal exposure for us, we can stop providing all or part of Facebook to you. We will notify you by email or at the next time you attempt to access your account. You may also delete your account or disable your application at any time. In all such cases, this Statement shall terminate, but the following provisions will still apply: 2.2, 2.4, 3-5, 8.2, 9.1-9.3, 9.9, 9.10, 9.13, 9.15, 9.18, 10.3, 11.2, 11.5, 11.6, 11.9, 11.12, 11.13, and 15-19.
     
16. Disputes
    
    
    1. You will resolve any claim, cause of action or dispute (claim) you have with us arising out of or relating to this Statement or Facebook exclusively in a state or federal court located in Santa Clara County. The laws of the State of California will govern this Statement, as well as any claim that might arise between you and us, without regard to conflict of law provisions. You agree to submit to the personal jurisdiction of the courts located in Santa Clara County, California for the purpose of litigating all such claims.
    2. If anyone brings a claim against us related to your actions, content or information on Facebook, you will indemnify and hold us harmless from and against all damages, losses, and expenses of any kind (including reasonable legal fees and costs) related to such claim. Although we provide rules for user conduct, we do not control or direct users' actions on Facebook and are not responsible for the content or information users transmit or share on Facebook. We are not responsible for any offensive, inappropriate, obscene, unlawful or otherwise objectionable content or information you may encounter on Facebook. We are not responsible for the conduct, whether online or offline, or any user of Facebook.
    3. WE TRY TO KEEP FACEBOOK UP, BUG-FREE, AND SAFE, BUT YOU USE IT AT YOUR OWN RISK. WE ARE PROVIDING FACEBOOK AS IS WITHOUT ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. WE DO NOT GUARANTEE THAT FACEBOOK WILL ALWAYS BE SAFE, SECURE OR ERROR-FREE OR THAT FACEBOOK WILL ALWAYS FUNCTION WITHOUT DISRUPTIONS, DELAYS OR IMPERFECTIONS. FACEBOOK IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ACTIONS, CONTENT, INFORMATION, OR DATA OF THIRD PARTIES, AND YOU RELEASE US, OUR DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, AND AGENTS FROM ANY CLAIMS AND DAMAGES, KNOWN AND UNKNOWN, ARISING OUT OF OR IN ANY WAY CONNECTED WITH ANY CLAIM YOU HAVE AGAINST ANY SUCH THIRD PARTIES. IF YOU ARE A CALIFORNIA RESIDENT, YOU WAIVE CALIFORNIA CIVIL CODE §1542, WHICH SAYS: A GENERAL RELEASE DOES NOT EXTEND TO CLAIMS WHICH THE CREDITOR DOES NOT KNOW OR SUSPECT TO EXIST IN HIS FAVOR AT THE TIME OF EXECUTING THE RELEASE, WHICH IF KNOWN BY HIM MUST HAVE MATERIALLY AFFECTED HIS SETTLEMENT WITH THE DEBTOR. WE WILL NOT BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ANY LOST PROFITS OR OTHER CONSEQUENTIAL, SPECIAL, INDIRECT, OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THIS STATEMENT OR FACEBOOK, EVEN IF WE HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. OUR AGGREGATE LIABILITY ARISING OUT OF THIS STATEMENT OR FACEBOOK WILL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS ($100) OR THE AMOUNT YOU HAVE PAID US IN THE PAST TWELVE MONTHS. APPLICABLE LAW MAY NOT ALLOW THE LIMITATION OR EXCLUSION OF LIABILITY OR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, SO THE ABOVE LIMITATION OR EXCLUSION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. IN SUCH CASES, FACEBOOK'S LIABILITY WILL BE LIMITED TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW.
        
17. Special Provisions Applicable to Users Outside the United States
    
    We strive to create a global community with consistent standards for everyone, but we also strive to respect local laws. The following provisions apply to users and non-users who interact with Facebook outside the United States:
    1. You consent to having your personal data transferred to and processed in the United States.
    2. If you are located in a country embargoed by the United States, or are on the U.S. Treasury Department's list of Specially Designated Nationals you will not engage in commercial activities on Facebook (such as advertising or payments) or operate a Platform application or website.
    3. Certain specific terms that apply only for German users are available here.
18. Definitions
    
    
    1. By "Facebook" we mean the features and services we make available, including through (a) our website at www.facebook.com and any other Facebook branded or co-branded websites (including sub-domains, international versions, widgets, and mobile versions); (b) our Platform; (c) social plugins such as the Like button, the Share button and other similar offerings and (d) other media, software (such as a toolbar), devices, or networks now existing or later developed.
    2. By "Platform" we mean a set of APIs and services (such as content) that enable others, including application developers and website operators, to retrieve data from Facebook or provide data to us.
    3. By "information" we mean facts and other information about you, including actions taken by users and non-users who interact with Facebook.
    4. By "content" we mean anything you or other users post on Facebook that would not be included in the definition of information.
    5. By "data" or "user data" or "user's data" we mean any data, including a user's content or information that you or third parties can retrieve from Facebook or provide to Facebook through Platform.
    6. By "post" we mean post on Facebook or otherwise make available by using Facebook.
    7. By "use" we mean use, copy, publicly perform or display, distribute, modify, translate, and create derivative works of.
    8. By "active registered user" we mean a user who has logged into Facebook at least once in the previous 30 days.
    9. By "application" we mean any application or website that uses or accesses Platform, as well as anything else that receives or has received data from us.  If you no longer access Platform but have not deleted all data from us, the term application will apply until you delete the data.
        
19. Other
    
    
    1. If you are a resident of or have your principal place of business in the US or Canada, this Statement is an agreement between you and Facebook, Inc.  Otherwise, this Statement is an agreement between you and Facebook Ireland Limited.  References to “us,” “we,” and “our” mean either Facebook, Inc. or Facebook Ireland Limited, as appropriate.
    2. This Statement makes up the entire agreement between the parties regarding Facebook, and supersedes any prior agreements.
    3. If any portion of this Statement is found to be unenforceable, the remaining portion will remain in full force and effect.
    4. If we fail to enforce any of this Statement, it will not be considered a waiver.
    5. Any amendment to or waiver of this Statement must be made in writing and signed by us.
    6. You will not transfer any of your rights or obligations under this Statement to anyone else without our consent.
    7. All of our rights and obligations under this Statement are freely assignable by us in connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, or by operation of law or otherwise.
    8. Nothing in this Statement shall prevent us from complying with the law.
    9. This Statement does not confer any third party beneficiary rights.
    10. We reserve all rights not expressly granted to you.
    11. You will comply with all applicable laws when using or accessing Facebook.

You may also want to review the following documents, which provide additional information about your use of Facebook: