The tool is nearly ready to be released, Zuckerman told Ars, but the University of Massachusetts Amherst associate professor is afraid that Facebook owner Meta might threaten legal action if he goes ahead. And his fears appear well-founded. In 2021, Meta sent a cease-and-desist letter to the creator of the original Unfollow Everything, Louis Barclay, leading that developer to shut down his tool after thousands of Facebook users had eagerly downloaded it.
Zuckerman is suing Meta, asking a US district court in California to invalidate Meta’s past arguments against developers like Barclay and rule that Meta would have no grounds to sue if he released his tool.
I stopped using all social media that insists on taking control of my content a long while ago. History has taught us that the laws flow with, and follow the money. And Meta has a lot of it. Just don’t use the products, and use these examples as to “why” you won’t when pressed. It’s gross that we are wanting to be a part of a product that isn’t for us. Why would you want to exist in that, when it is such a difficult experience? I just can’t wrap my head around it.