Facebook set to change policies on privacy, ads
SAN FRANCISCO — Don’t look now, but Facebook is proposing a bunch of changes to its privacy and user rights policies.
The social network says it’s just making things clearer for its more than 1 billion users — and it’s adding language to comply with the settlement of a class- action lawsuit about Facebook advertising.
The company is alerting users by email and giving them seven days to pore over the fine print and provide feedback.
One of the proposed changes: Facebook wants to use profile photos in addition to facial recognition technology to recognize users on the service.
Facebook uses facial recognition software to suggest users “tag” friends’ photos uploaded to the service.
“Now we are making it clear that moving forward we also want to use your profile photos as an additional input into the technology
“This is another Facebook data grab and a blow to its users’ privacy rights.”
— Jeffrey Chester, Center for Digital Democracy
to better recognize you,” said Erin Egan, Facebook’s chief privacy officer.
Egan said the addition of the profile photo to its facial recognition technology would make it easier to identify people in photos and alert them that they have been tagged in a photo.
Facebook users who are uncomfortable with the technology have the option not to participate in the feature.
“The benefit in being tagged is that you know photos exist,” Egan said, particularly if users are concerned about being tagged in compromising or embarrassing photos.
Facebook also added language to comply with the settlement of a class- action lawsuit about Facebook advertising. OnMonday, aU. S. judge gave final approval to the $ 20 million settlement regarding “sponsored stories.”
Facebook changed the language in its policy to say that users younger than 18 have affirmed that a parent or legal guardian has agreed to allow advertisers to usesomeof their personal information in ads.
“This is another Facebook data grab and a blow to its users’ privacy rights,” said Jeffrey Chester, executive director of the privacy watchdog group Center for Digital Democracy, who called for theFederalTrade Commission to investigate. “The changes affecting teens are an outrageous attempt by Facebook to sanction its intensive targeting of teens with ads.”