Barn Buddy Game: A Scam that Duped Children and Parents

Facebook's pursuit of revenue has always been a major focus for the company. However, its methods have often come at the expense of children and their parents. In the case of the Barn Buddy game, Facebook earned massive sums of money from unsuspecting young players, only to deny refunds when parents discovered the extent of the charges.

According to unsealed documents, Facebook referred to these children as 'whales' - a term borrowed from the casino industry to describe profligate spenders. The company's strategy was to encourage game developers to allow children to spend money without their parents' permission, a tactic known as 'friendly fraud'. This approach allowed Facebook to maximize its revenues, even if it meant duping children and their parents out of hundreds or thousands of dollars.

The issue with the Barn Buddy game was that it had a high chargeback rate, which is when credit card companies step in and claw back money from Facebook on behalf of parents. This rate far exceeded what the Federal Trade Commission considers to be a red flag for deceptive business practices.

Despite repeated warnings from its own employees about the potential harm caused by this strategy, Facebook chose not to implement measures to prevent children from being taken advantage of. In fact, a team of Facebook employees even developed a method that would have reduced the problem of children being hoodwinked into spending money, but it was ignored.

The company's actions were so egregious that parents had no choice but to turn to the Better Business Bureau, their credit card companies, or even the courts to get their money back. One 15-year-old child racked up $6,500 in charges in just two weeks playing games on Facebook.

Facebook's refusal to refund these charges was particularly egregious given its own internal reports showing that underage users did not realize their parents' credit cards were connected to their Facebook accounts and were spending real money in the games. The company's actions have painted a troubling picture of how it conducted business, prioritizing profits over people.

In conclusion, the Barn Buddy game is just one example of Facebook's questionable business practices when it comes to children and online gaming. The company's decision to prioritize revenue over the well-being of its young users has led to widespread harm and financial loss for many families. It is time for Facebook to take responsibility for its actions and implement measures to protect children from being taken advantage of in the future.

Barn buddy game