The founder of the original 'Facebook' has claimed that the social media platform has caused “countless deaths” by failing to protect users.

Aaron Greenspan, who won a confidential pay-out from Facebook after claiming he came up with the concept for the social network first, has reopened his feud with Mark Zuckerberg by claiming the social media boss sacrificed safeguards on cyberbullying, extremists and data security to pursue growth at all costs.

In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, Mr Greenspan said Mr Zuckerberg had ignored his warnings and instead designed the platform to be as addictive as tobacco in order to recruit and keep users.

“Facebook’s addictive qualities may not kill anyone directly as cigarettes do every day but it is now established that the site has led to countless deaths,” claimed Mr Greenspan, who created the 'Universal Face Book' at Harvard four months before Mr Zuckerberg registered Facebook.com and launched it incorporating features from Mr Greenspan's site.

Mr Greenspan cited the recent leaked memo written by Facebook vice president Andrew Bosworth, in which he said the site's pursuit to "connect people" might "cost someone a life by exposing someone to bullies" or deaths in a "terrorist attack co-ordinated on our tools."