Facebook has taken a dramatic step, to cut down on spam (as far as we can tell): they’ve turned off the automatic linking of URLs within feed story comments. It’s a significant step as the company has spent the past month vigorously battling a large attack from spammers and hackers who have been attempting to prey unsuspecting users. While we’d assume that this is a temporary change as Facebook looks to cut down on the current rise in spam, it’s clearly underlies how big of a problem spam has become for Facebook.
We’ve reached out to Facebook for a comment on the issue, however we think it’s pretty obvious why Facebook would take such a step. After yesterday’s massive breach which resulted in the widespread distribution of a survey worm, Facebook is taking all precautions to stop spammers from attacking the site.
While there’s no doubt that the battle between Facebook and spammers will continue to rage on for some period of time, Facebook knows how critical blocking spam is for ensuring that the company doesn’t damage its reputation. It watched MySpace essentially collapse from an onslaught of spam, and while it’s now many times larger than MySpace, they want to do everything possible to prevent a similar experience from taking place again.
We’re still waiting on a confirmation from Facebook that spam was the reason for turning off comment links. Have you noticed this happening on your profile as well?
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I still have them.
Comment by Sean Turvey — September 7, 2010 @ 3:27 pm
This seams crazy to me – the whole beauty of Facebook is that it is a platform that allows communication and sharing of media – pictures, links, videos etc…
I think they should find other ways to stop spammers than to disable some of their own functionality.
Whats next? disable the photo upload feature? how about disabling comments all together?
I find this to be a poor step by Facebook – I hope the revert back to their basic, normal functionality.
Comment by Dana — September 7, 2010 @ 3:30 pm
I actually dropped deactivated my account earlier this year because of all the spam, but I returned just yesterday. (I had to create a personal page to create a business page.) I have been able to set the privacy and other parameters as I wish them, and this is something that I could not do before.
I hope I don't end up regretting it. Again.
Comment by Andrea — September 7, 2010 @ 3:36 pm
Their reputation and battle with spam was sunk the day they let commoners with yahoo.com email addresses on.
LONG LINE THE COLLEGE ONLY SNSs!
Comment by Guest — September 7, 2010 @ 5:46 pm
There is an easy workaround for Firefox and Chrome users:
If that link problem really bothers you, like it does me, try these solutions if you haven't already, and everything will be clickable again! Simply install the following add-on / extension:
For Firefox:
Linkification
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/19...
For Chrome:
Clickable Links
https://chrome.google.com/extensions/detail/mblbc...
Thanks to http://www.facebook.com/Mr.blackknight for this tip! – Find more helpful information on our FB Pages at
http://www.facebook.com/pages/-Scam-Sniper-/32980...
and http://www.facebook.com/scam.fighters.united
Comment by Eckard Pfeifer — September 7, 2010 @ 6:21 pm
And they have another screw up potential with spam coming from wall posts made using Iphones. Some college pages are being abused by a few idiots posting stupid things that are not spam, but damn distracting and having nothing to do with the topics, and you can't report the Iphone posts as spam. That needs to change, or the stupid page admins needs to learn how to use the "block profile" feature.
Comment by Guest — September 7, 2010 @ 11:05 pm
hmmm i just tested this with a comment on one of my news post and the url worked for me?
Comment by Dean Collins — September 8, 2010 @ 5:53 am
is this really good|??
Comment by yahoofashion — September 8, 2010 @ 7:42 am
Unfortunately on our site this is still happening (ie the site on comment is clickable). It would be a cool move, we support it!
Comment by luca — September 8, 2010 @ 9:33 pm
I don't think links in comments is a typical reaction to someone leaving a valid facebook message unless someone wanted to highlight a site, and in that case the person they were responding to would either cut/paste the URL or ignore it. At least links are clickable from your direct wall posts, that would cut down on click through rates if they weren't.
Comment by dragonblogger — September 8, 2010 @ 10:49 pm
I am so sick of Facebooks totalitarian rule.
They stand on the backs of the users to make their riches.
While also maiking whatever laws they want to control thought of the users.
Their Mind-Control Squads are rampaging through the lands of Facebook burning homes(Disabling accounts), cutting out tongues (restricting messaging) and stopping freedom of association(Friend adding crippled).
This must stop. Facebook is too big and peopel have become too dependent upon it for Zuckerberg to continue his tyranny. Give me Liberty on Facebook. Let me speak my mind. If someone doesn't like what IO say then let that USER block me so he doesn't have to see anything from, me, SIMPLE AS HELL. Facebook need not enforce rules for the conmfort of users. They are clearly doing it because they want to control what we say and think. Let me add whoever I want as a Friend. They can deny me. Facebook need not be involved unless they want to control who I associate with. And me send the same message to all of my friends if I want to spread the word about something. Again, facebook wants to tell me haw I can and cannot interact with my friends.
Comment by Earl Salisbury — September 9, 2010 @ 9:31 am
Liberty Facebook. Get a clue.
I was executed by Zuckerbergs Gestapo, account disabled, causing major disruption in my life, business, organizations, family and friends. I hate him and I hate his Thought Control Squads who act like Gods throwing lightening bolts at anyone who doesn't think the way they want them to think. I wish all manner of darkness to fall upon these scum. In fact Zuckerberg, DIE you anti-American, freedom hating peice of trash! And may Facebook die too.
Comment by Earl Salisbury — September 9, 2010 @ 9:31 am
you cna still post with the new facebook profile its under the persons pictures theres an icon whicch says comment
Comment by simon — December 9, 2010 @ 6:45 am
I am writing comments,I think it is useful to me,thank you!
Comment by rose — March 7, 2011 @ 11:01 pm
You are so right they have to come up with a way to let me AT LEAST add a link to my own youtube channel, blogger blog or Google docs or Google photos and to any other legitimate sharing site.
Comment by gary — April 18, 2011 @ 11:46 am
I've noted today that if you paste a link into a comment with no other text, the comment just disappears. YMMV.
Comment by whistledink — April 28, 2011 @ 9:44 pm
yeh they are no longer even appearing WTF, Been like that for a week or so for me, If this is permanent then it's seriously disturbing. FU facebook
Comment by james — April 30, 2011 @ 3:30 am
I haven't tried it myself, but just saw that someone posted in a forum that if you put your link between < >, it will show up.
Comment by annoyed — May 21, 2011 @ 7:09 am
I am able to post the entire url and it works but I cannot do a text link. Tried it just now and it worked.
Comment by David — May 25, 2011 @ 7:43 pm
Posting a link to any website into a comment still isn't working for me. It simply disappears. I use FireFox. Any ideas please as to how I can fix this because it used to be so useful for quickly sharing info in a friend's posts comments … stupid FB div devs.
Comment by irene — May 29, 2011 @ 11:37 am
This sucks ! That's the entire point of facebook ! to share things !
Comment by andrea — June 2, 2011 @ 12:18 am
dnt evn wrk!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ur shit
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Comment by nywholesalescarves — June 17, 2011 @ 4:39 pm
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Comment by Tina Dupree — September 10, 2011 @ 8:37 am
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Comment by Steve — October 27, 2011 @ 1:27 am
It can be taken as an anti-spam move.
Comment by montre pas chere — November 18, 2011 @ 4:28 am
wow from this post I get good info again
Comment by Rainforest — November 30, 2011 @ 2:40 am
I remember when they first took the comment links down. After I had made a few comments on eHow with hyperlinks I noticed that a few days later the links dissapeared along with my comments. Oh well, life goes on.
Comment by MikeyMike — December 13, 2011 @ 9:58 pm
This is what spam does. About.com just did the same thing.
Comment by kindle vs nook — January 10, 2012 @ 9:12 pm