Apple Store: No More Facebook For You

Apple has put the kibosh on Facebook usage in its U.S. retail stores, according to recently published online reports.

Apparently, Facebook surfing was eating up too much computer time in Apple Stores. It’s a similar situation to the MySpace ban imposed at Apple Stores back in 2007. At that time, Apple explained the decision with the following statement:

“Nearly 2 million people visit Apple stores every week. We want to provide everyone a chance to test-drive a Mac, so we are no longer offering access to MySpace in our stores.”

Apple Store employees said customers would loiter “for hours” while using the social networking site.

It’s interesting that it took nearly two years for Facebook to become a big enough problem to warrant the same action. The latest stats from HitWise might offer some explanation: From January of 2008 to January of 2009, Facebook’s total market share within social networks doubled, shooting from 15 percent to 31 percent. MySpace, in the meantime, shrunk from 73 percent in ’08 to 57 percent in ’09.

The question, then, is what site will get the next Apple Store ban. Any predictions?