Facebook Denies Community Members Access to Social Networking

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Houston, Texas, United States of America (Free-Press-Release.com) September 2, 2010 -- Mandaue City, Philippines - Native American National Team CEO & President Basketball Operations Spider Ledesma has announced Facebook.com, the social networking giant with over 500 million members worldwide, has blocked his personal account and is not allowing him to add Native American and global friends from the Native American National Team fan page, which he founded.

Facebook.com could not be reached for comment.

"I am absolutely appalled at Facebook, which by all accounts appears to be manipulating the global social networking market, in an attempt to force users to use their advertising platform in order to procure more revenues. I have tried to add Native American and global friends once they become Fans of the Native American National Team via 'Friend Requests' and when I do my account is being blocked and the warning message is 'Block! You are engaging in behavior that may be considered annoying or abusive by other users.' The warning message then proceeds to say 'You have been blocked from adding friends because you repeatedly misused this feature' which is unequivocally false," stated Ledesma.

He continued, "What is amazing is that Facebook is denying members the literal ability to socially network! They are also denying members the ability to make their own, informed choices of who they choose to allow within their friendship circle. They are taking away completely, without permission from members, their personal right and freedom to choose who becomes a friend and who doesn't. I personally have a success rate of approximately 90% or more when asking anyone to join my friendship circle so to receive a warning message that states that I am engaging in annoying or abusive behavior is slanderous, defamatory and untrue. With a success rate such as I have it is more than clear that my friendship circle requests are in fact, quite welcome by my Native American and global friends once they become Fans of the Native American National Team.”

When asked why he thought Facebook would engage in such seemingly contradictory behavior he calmly stated with a pensive and concerned look on his face, 'money.' He went to great lengths to show how these actions can force users to have to use Facebook’s advertsing platform to add more friends or more fans. He explained how the viral nature of Facebook’s social networking model eliminates the need to use their advertising resources particularly once an individual begins to gain momentum via critical mass which he stated begins at approximately 1,000 friends. Ledesma said Facebook was executing an obvious strategy to impede the growth of individuals with large friend lists in order to deter their ability to circumvent Facebook's advertising platform. He also noted many outside companies are approaching private individuals with more than 1,000 friends to advertise their business interests at a lower rate than Facebook's advertising model . He stated he feels slandered and harrassed while Facebook is engaging in seemingly overt manipulation of it’s social networking market of 500 million members in order to attempt to procure more advertising revenues from it’s members. He stated this was entirely unacceptable as a monetization model and that the federal government should immediately look into Facebook’s business practices which he believes may be at the very least manipulation of the market to at its worst a form of advertising extortion.

A copy of this press release is being forwarded to US Attorney General Eric Holder's office for immediate review.

The Native American National Team is inviting all Facebook members who have suffered similar indignation and injustices to contact the National Team as all litigation options are being considered to protect the right of members to choose freely who they will add as friends and not have their God-given rights stripped from them with impunity.

Blocked Accounts     Facebook     Friendship Requests     Litigation Lawsuit     Mark Zuckerberg     Native American National Team     social networking     Spider Ledesma