Social networking giant Facebook, has been in the hot seat in recent months, receiving bad press as a phishing hotspot, sex offender haven, and lawsuit opportunity.  This month, Facebook has found itself in yet another legal scuffle for violating privacy laws.  The Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic says Facebook has been breaking the law by retaining users’ personal information indefinitely even after accounts are closed.

According to Privacy Commissioner Jennifer Stoddart, this is just one of numerous privacy violations Facebook has on its plate.  A court injunction was a last resort for Stoddart after discussions with the company led to no course of action.   To patch up this one security hole, Stoddart says Facebook should permanently delete user data of closed accounts after a reasonable length of time.

Despite Facebook’s priority in delivering member privacy, Stoddart has found critical vulnerabilities in the site’s operation that pose serious privacy risks.  For one, she is pushing for more transparency of the site’s privacy policies to guard users against making uninformed decisions about how they share their personal information.  Another privacy bug to be fixed on her list is the lack of safeguards to prevent access of user’s personal information by third-party application developers.

There are also complaints that Facebook is exploiting user information for commercial purposes like targeted advertising.  Sharing the concerns of Stoddart are Facebook members like Lisa Feinberg, worried that “Facebook is deceiving its users” by failing to clearly inform users what they’re signing up for.

Especially at risk are Canadians between the ages 14 to 25, who are unaware of the privacy controls available, or how to use them to their advantage, and how their private information can be misused by third-parties.

But the onslaught of complaints directed at Facebook have some wondering how such a high-profile site becomes the target of security scrutiny while smaller social networks  are flying under the radar.  But according to the director of the Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic Phillipa Lawson, all are suspect.  There is just a higher risk of exposure on Facebook since it is the most popular online hangout in Canada, appealing to teens.

If Stoddart sees no course of action from Facebook in the next 30 days, the case can be taken to the Federal Court of Canada to enforce the recommended changes.

Source: http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/667167

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