This image was lost some time after publication.

Every morning we check Google News for Facebook-related stories and without fail, always find a news story or two illustrating how vastly more entertaining Facebook is for the rest of the world. Australians, Britons and Spaniards seem to use Facebook only to plan huge flash-mob parties at beaches, pools and vacation homes. Here, we sometimes get Facebook invites to Tech Karaoke. In America, the only crimes Facebook facilitates are child porn and child molestation — depressing, not fun. Abroad, Facebook figures prominently in stories of murder, prostitution, and even clashes against the government. Below nine news stories showing exactly how much more enjoyment foreigners are having getting into trouble with Facebook. Here in the States, we're sitting at our computers while wondering how Facebook's going to make money, or something. Clearly, we're doing it wrong.

  • In "Fears Over Facebook Beach Party," SkyNews reported today that

  • As thousands of Facebook party-goers prepare to descend on a seaside town for a "Night Of Mayhem", local police are determined to stop it going ahead.

  • In "Woman branded prostitute in Facebook scam," Britain's Telegraph reported in February that

  • A woman claimed her life has been destroyed by strangers who stole her identity and set up a Facebook profile describing her as a prostitute.

  • In "Facebook Tube party that ended in drunken riot was organised by City banker," the UK's MailOnline reports:

  • One of the organisers of the London Underground protest that descended into drunken chaos at the weekend is a City banker who fears losing his job as a result, it emerged yesterday.

  • In "Fledgling Rebellion on Facebook Is Struck Down by Force in Egypt," the Washington Post reports:

  • Since late March, 74,000 people had registered on a Facebook page created and run by Maher and a few other young Egyptians, most of them newcomers to activism. Maher would end up among what rights groups said were 500 Egyptians arrested during two months of political activism in Egypt — and find himself stripped and beaten in a Cairo police station, he said.

  • In "Facebook 'dipping' craze irks pool owners" the UK's Telegraph reports:

  • Teenagers are using internet satellite images to spot outdoor swimming pools before meeting for late-night dips.Once a venue is found, the youngsters use social networking sites including Facebook and Bebo to meet for impromptu swims and pool parties.

  • In "Tycoon's son wanted over Facebook murder," Australia's News.com.au reports:

  • An Arab billionaire's son listed as a Facebook friend of a murdered socialite has been named by police as a prime suspect in the blonde's death.

  • In "Husband 'murdered wife before killing himself' after she confessed on Facebook she was leaving him," the UK's MailOnline reports:

  • A husband is believed to have murdered his wife before killing himself after she told friends on Facebook they were splitting up, it emerged yesterday. Less than a fortnight ago Mrs Grinhaff, 42, updated her profile on the social networking site, Facebook, telling friends she was "currently splitting" from her husband.

  • In "Facebook mob trashes £4.4m Spanish villa," the Register reports:

  • A Brit-owned £4.4m Spanish villa has been laid waste by 400 rampaging teenagers after the owners' 16-year-old daughter posted invites to the mother of all wrecking parties on Bebo and Facebook.

  • In "Internet' party turns into riot," This Is Cheshire reports:

  • A girl's 18th birthday party turned into a major "riot" after an invitation was posted on social internet networking site Facebook. Gangs of teenagers tried to gatecrash the fancy dress bash after a friend of the unnamed youngster put a message about it on the internet.





  • (Photo of the Facebook Tube Party by     Annie Mole)