Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s CEO, confirmed that Facebook settled with the charges of the Federal Trade Commission regarding violations of user privacy as posted in a statement on the company’s blog.
Facebook and FTC Settlement Confirmed
All future privacy control alterations of Facebook will now necessarily be opt in by audiences of the previous content or data shared. The company is required to have the consumers’ consent before applying any changes that are involved with the users’ privacy preferences.
Moreover, there will be privacy audits to be submitted by the company bi-annually within the next twenty years. Facebook will deny access to data or content from deactivated accounts as well as evade misrepresentations of matters regarding users’ data security or privacy.
According to Facebook’s Colin Stretch, deputy general counsel, specific alterations that require opt in are those “material retroactive changes” wherein audiences can see users’ previously shared information on Facebook. It is noted however that newly launched products that contain new privacy controls do not need to be opt in.
Facebook’s public policy teams explain that those required to be opt in are those that “override existing settings.” This means that once new settings are placed, these are admissible without opt in.
Aside from these changes, Facebook also redirected the process of its product development in order to make sure that privacy is taken into priority. There are two corporate officer roles newly created by Zuckerberg‒the Chief Privacy Officer for Policy and the Chief Privacy Officer for Products. Erin Egan and Michael Richter hold these two positions respectively.
The package of changes proposed by Facebook in accordance to FTC is now under the public comment period. It is expected that finalizations will be done by early 2012.
As for the privacy audits, it is expected that the development and rolling out of products will be affected; considering that previously engineers and product teams could partly make changes with Facebook’s interface.
Among the seven complaints that FTC filed against Facebook regarding its privacy and security mistakes over the years, The Verified Apps program as well as the security bug have already been resolved.
Zuckerberg expressed in his statement that privacy plays an important role in the company’s endeavors to keep the community’s trust.
