US Senate Voice Concerns Over Facebook Privacy

Last Tuesday four US senators conveyed their concerns to Facebook over current changes to the social network that they say compromise the confidentiality of its more than 400 million users.

In a letter to Mark Zuckerberg Facebook’s co-founder and chief executives, US senators stated that they were concerned that personal information of Facebook users is being made available to third party websites.

Furthermore, Facebook should make sharing personal information an "opt-in" procedure in which a user specifically gives permission for data to be shared.

"Even though we are gratified that Facebook let users to opt-out of sharing private data, many users are unconscious of this option and, besides, find it complicated and confusing to navigate," the senators added.

"Beforehand, Facebook lets third-party advertisers to stock up profile data for 24 hours," they said. "We are concerned that current changes allow that data to be stored indefinitely.

"We believe that Facebook should reverse this policy, or at a lowest require users to decide on in to allowing third parties to store data for more than 24 hours."

Facebook's vice president of global communications, marketing and public policy, Elliot Schrage, send a letter to Senator Schumer that stated online privacy is "something Facebook takes very seriously."

"Facebook is planed to give people the tools to manage their information online and our highest priority is to keep and build the confidence of the more than 400 million people who use our service," Schrage said.

The main function of these new products and features are to enhance personalization and uphold social activity across the Internet while continuing to give users unparalleled control over what information they share, when they want to share it, and with whom," Elliot Schrage added.