RockMelt for Mac

Integrating Facebook into other applications has been the focus of developers in recent years. RockMelt for Mac attempts to combine a Web browser with Facebook, but privacy concerns and poor functionality make this a problematic application.

Available as freeware, the program downloads quickly. Installation is another story, however. Initially, you are prompted to enter Facebook log-in information before the program begins. Once it's entered, the next setup dialog box presents troublesome privacy concerns. Essentially, RockMelt for Mac seeks authorization to control almost all of the user's Facebook features and permissions. This lack of user control is concerning for those with any interest in privacy. In addition, the program asks for all of your personal Facebook information, which can be detailed. The menu appears to allow these to be declined, but when attempted, the menu simply reloads and repeats infinitely. A forced program close did not work and the only way to move past the menu was to authorize the permissions or force a shutdown of the whole computer system. After restarting, testing the browser without signing in to Facebook was disappointing. Without the Facebook integration, the browser has no additional features over other, more-polished browsers.

While the Facebook integration of RockMelt for Mac sounds helpful, the privacy concerns and a problematic setup mean you should look elsewhere for a third-party Internet browser.