While the $5 billion fine in the Facebook settlement has received a lot of attention, it is the compliance requirements that come with it that are of particular interest. Also noteworthy are the details in the complaint about how Facebook has handled facial recognition information and phone numbers.
FAQ: I am new to Facebook. What do I need to know about posting to someone else’s Timeline? When you first join Facebook, you can discover many old friends, acquaintances and relatives you may have lost touch with and want to recontact. It can be exhilarating to find so many of your contacts
Today the World Privacy Forum published the first of a series of new tips for users of Facebook, Facebook Privacy FAQs. “We are publishing online privacy tips for Facebook users in bite-size pieces so people can decipher the complex Facebook privacy settings and make meaningful changes and choices,” said Pam Dixon. “We are finding that too many consumers are confused about what the choices mean and how to make them.”
Facebook gives you the option to use use secure browsing when a secure connection is available. This is a security option that all Facebook users should use. It is a no-brainer to say yes to. Facebook has turned this option on by default, but the rollout for this option may not have reached your area. Also, there may be some country-level differences. It is worth taking a few steps to make sure turn this option is on. It is well worth it, and we highly recommend it for all users.
Facebook — In response to the FTC’s proposed settlement with Facebook over the company’s multiple privacy violations, the World Privacy Forum has asked the FTC to make key changes. “We applaud the FTC for its work on the Facebook case,” said executive director Pam Dixon. “We support many parts of the settlement. However, we urge the FTC to provide full redress for affected consumers by rolling back the privacy controls to the 2009 defaults, and we also urge the FTC to follow the 2004 Gateway Learning, Corp. precedent and require Facebook to disgorge profits they made from violating their privacy policy retroactively.” The comment period is open to the public until December 30.