Tapatalk Forum App for xenForo - iOS / Android / Windows Phone Mobile App [Deleted]

[Amin Sabet]

Yeah. Tapatalk stealing my member list and spamming my members (who didn't use TT) with solicitations to download and install TT was the last straw. My membership is pretty privacy aware and this caused quite a stir for me when it appeared like I sold my memberlist to a 3rd party. TT was removed within 15 minutes of this event.

My removal of TT had nothing to do with revenue.
Tapatalk began to email ALL of my members with a 'Likes you've received, click here to download Tapatalk' solicitation email. This went out to members who don't even own smartphones and I was accused of selling or sharing my member list by some of our members. They mined my entire member database without my knowledge and began to use this list of usernames and email addresses to try to sell their app.

@tapatalk @Tapatalk Eric - How do you reply to the above posts by @melbo? This is a VERY serious issue. Do you dispute his claims? I'm sure no forum owner intends to give Tapatalk free license to email marketing info to the entire membership.

 

[Mouth]

I'm sure no forum owner intends to give Tapatalk free license to email marketing info to the entire membership.

But that's EXACTLY what every forum owner does - grant complete access to your entire user email list to Tapatalk for them to email users and entice them to use Tapatalk !!
https://tapatalk.com/forum-owner-license-agreement.php states;

In consideration for Tapatalk granting you access to and use of the Service, you agree that Tapatalk and its third party providers and partners may (i) place such advertising and affiliate links on the Service, and (ii) access your email database solely in connection with Tapatalk's invite a friend feature which allows users to invite friends to join your forum, and trending email service which sends emails to forum users letting them know of top conversations in the forum.

People really need to read and understand license agreements and terms and conditions. Usage of Tapatalk means you are giving them access to, and permission to use, your users email addresses regardless of whether they are Tapatalk users or not.
They'll be data mining it for sure, IMHO.

 

[melbo]

I admit to not fully investigating the ToS when I first installed TT 6 or 7 years ago so the email events are my responsibility since I agreed to this practice by installing it.

 

[Alpha1]

Actually I did read the license agreement years ago before installing it and only installed it after they stated that they would only email tapatalk users and not mine my database for user information. IIRC they did change the license agreement over time.

 

[Mouth]

I admit to not fully investigating the ToS when I first installed TT 6 or 7 years ago

Actually I did read the license agreement years ago before installing it and only installed it after they stated that they would only email tapatalk users

Yup Exactly why I stay away from any license agreement or terms & conditions that contain words like;

This Agreement may be amended from time-to-time without notice in Tapatalk's sole discretion. Any changes to this Agreement will be effective immediately upon the posting of the revised Agreement on the Application, our website, or in an updated version of the Service.

It's not just the functionality of their software and the introduction of new features that has disregard for working with the site owner but operating entirely in Tapatalk's own self interests, but right from the outset with the license agreement they have disregard for the site owners interests and their contribution.

Their prior license agreement at https://web.archive.org/web/20141021014152/http://tapatalk.com/forum_owner_license.php doesn't contain the clause of being able to retrieve our entire users database of email addresses and then email them, tapatalk users or not, and promote Tapatalk. So "last updated on December 29, 2014" would be the date they introduced it.

I disabled Tapatalk on my site in mid December last year after their site was hacked. I considered re-activating it sometime in Jan or Feb, and noticed the new license agreement at that time. I tried to raise this on their own support forum, but the thread was very promptly deleted and I was given a ban. That was the last straw and I immediately removed Tapatalk from my site then.

I've just added a new thread at https://support.tapatalk.com/threads/tapatalk-can-email-spam-your-entire-users-database.31803/ highlighting the impact. I wonder if this one will remain or be deleted too, and whether I'll get another ban.

 

[Amin Sabet]

@Mouth

Re: "This Agreement may be amended from time-to-time without notice in Tapatalk's sole discretion."

I don't remember that being in the license agreement/terms when I installed Tapatalk initially. I wonder when they added it.

Regardless, I have uninstalled Tapatalk from all my sites and will not be installing it again.

 

[Mouth]

@Mouth
Re: "This Agreement may be amended from time-to-time without notice in Tapatalk's sole discretion."
I don't remember that being in the license agreement/terms when I installed Tapatalk initially. I wonder when they added it.

Approx March 2014, when they moved from Hong Kong to California.
It was previously "Any waiver or modification of this License Agreement shall only be effective if it is in writing and signed by both parties hereto".

 

[Ingenious]

I've not had any issues since removing TT. Pushover is available but surprisingly there hasn't been a stampede to use it. Everyone's settled in fine with the responsive theme. Of course after all this hard work making my forum "small device proof", our attention will now be on the iPad Pro and making things look good BIG again, LOL.

Like others above, I didn't really pay much attention to the T&C as it was the only solution available.

 

[Alpha1]

I wonder if they abuse the user data of sites that uninstalled before december 2014.

 

[tapatalk]

Here's an explanation of our recent Beta programs.

Registered Tapatalk Users

We want to be clear that we never have, and never will, divulge or sell any emails. Any emails sent to registered Tapatalk Users will always include an unsubscribe link and our mailing address. Additionally, Tapatalk Users can manage their email preferences in app by going to Me>Settings>Email Notifications.

Beta Programs - Tested and Ended

Earlier this year, we did test a couple of Beta programs to drive members back to your forums. We recently ended all email related programs because they did not have the hoped for success metrics in terms of open rates and CTR back to forums. There were two Engagement Email programs:

• Trending Topics Newsletter: A newsletter sent to all registered members of the community with trending topics from the previous week, with links back to the forum. Only sites that asked to participate in the Beta program received the newsletters.
  
  
• “You Got Emails” - An email to members if they received a like, or if they were quoted, with a link back to your forum, to supplement existing forum email notification features.

The “You Got” emails were sent to sites that asked to participate in the Beta, and we also tested in eight countries (non-US, non-EU, and non-Oceania). For these eight countries, a notification email was sent to all site admins explaining the test, with instructions how-to opt-out.

Any email sent with these two programs included unsubscribe link. And these two Beta programs have since been retired, and subsequently the encrypted email information deleted.

One additional note. There was a human error that caused three forums to be incorrectly added to the Beta program. As soon as we found about the error, the engagement emails ceased, and all emails were deleted.

The Tapatalk.com admin console and the plugin implementation have been updated to reflect the termination of the Beta programs.

BTW - The plug-in update also eliminates the full screen interstitial ad (also referred to as the pop-up ad). In the next couple of weeks the Plug-In will be updated to support 2FA.

Eric

 

[raytrails]

Too little, too late.

 

[Amin Sabet]

We want to be clear that we never have, and never will, divulge or sell any emails.

These are your current terms for forum owners: https://tapatalk.com/forum-owner-license-agreement.php

A couple parts which are unacceptable to me:

In consideration for Tapatalk granting you access to and use of the Service, you agree that Tapatalk and its third party providers and partners may (i) place such advertising and affiliate links on the Service, and (ii) access your email database solely in connection with Tapatalk's invite a friend feature which allows users to invite friends to join your forum, and trending email service which sends emails to forum users letting them know of top conversations in the forum.

This Agreement may be amended from time-to-time without notice in Tapatalk's sole discretion. Any changes to this Agreement will be effective immediately upon the posting of the revised Agreement on the Application, our website, or in an updated version of the Service. This Agreement, including any agreements and terms incorporated by reference herein, constitutes the entire agreement between you and Tapatalk and govern your use of the Service, and supersedes any prior version of the Agreement between you and Tapatalk with respect to the Service. All rights not granted to you herein are expressly reserved by Tapatalk.

So basically you and whichever third parties you choose can email anyone in the membership database (including non-Tapatalk users) to let them know about top threads (and Tapatalk), and you can unilaterally change the terms any time in any way, effective immediately.

 

[Tim Aldridge]

Has anyone had any issue with TT and 1.4.10?

 

[Robru]

Has anyone had any issue with TT and 1.4.10?

No, worked perfectly !

 

[Tim Aldridge]

Weird. Just installed the update and now it has stopped working across the board.

 

[Robru]

Just installed

Manually or automatic?

 

[Divvens]

Wonder why the add-on got deleted

 

[Floyd R Turbo]

TT stated why a few weeks back in this thread

 

[Amaury]

I think he was being sarcastic.

 

[AppleAndMango]

Does anyone know how deleted the add-on? Contemplating removing the add-on from my forum too.. Though I know a few member's came from Tapatalk...