In a counterpunch to the world’s biggest online hangout, a small Web company called ability.com has sued Facebook, saying it doesn’t follow its own policy of giving users control by their substance.

ability lets users simultaneously access several social networks, including MySpace and Twitter. But Facebook isn’t among them considering the site has blocked capability. Last year it sued ability by the practice in a case that is still open.

In that lawsuit, Facebook accused ability of copyright and trademark violations and said the company gains unauthorized access to Facebook’s computer network when it asks users for their Facebook login and password info.

that, Facebook says, violates its members’ privacy and safety measure, as well as its policy of prohibiting outsiders from asking Facebook users for their login knowledge. capability, though, points out that its practice is a common one on the Web and even Facebook asks its own users to supply login info for their e-mail accounts whether they want find their e-mail contacts on the site.

San Francisco-based capability filed a countersuit Friday in U.S. District Court in San Jose, California. potential claims that Palo Alto, California-based Facebook improperly restricts its users’ access to their private data when it prevents them from accessing it through a third party like ability.

Power’s CEO, Steve Vachani, compared Facebook’s policy to cell phone companies locking out third-party devices and applications from their wireless networks. To fight the case, the company has even hired Scott Bursor, a lawyer who successfully challenged that practice and obtained settlements.

“Data portability is an inalienable right,” Vachani said. “Facebook has historically been the one company that has dragged their feet on that.”

Facebook has its own platform for letting users access third-party sites using their logins for the social network. Facebook says more than 10,000 Web sites use the service, called Facebook Connect –…

[Source] dhiram