Internet security: Facebook pledges better privacy controls

August 27, 2009

As more internet users share their personal information on social websites like Facebook, the more opportunities criminals and identity thieves find for exploiting them. Today, Facebook announced plans to further improve privacy and internet security.

The changes were a result of the company's work with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, which has spent more than a year reviewing Facebook's privacy policies and controls. In a report issued last month, the privacy commissioner made several recommendations that Facebook said it will make over the next year.

"Our productive and constructive dialogue with the commissioner's office has given us an opportunity to improve our policies and practices in a way that will provide even greater transparency and control for Facebook users," said Elliot Schrage, vice president of public policy at Facebook.

Facebook will update its privacy policy to better describe a number of its practices, including how its advertising programs work. The company will also encourage users to review their privacy settings and make sure default selections reflect user preferences.

Recent surveys underscore the vulnerability of many high speed internet users who post information on web 2.0 social networking sites. AVG released a survey showing that nearly two-thirds of users do not protect themselves by changing passwords or reviewing their privacy settings.

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