Contributed by: Editor on Sunday, July 19 2009 @ 05:05 pm
Last modified on
Privacy Commissioner Jennifer Stoddart released a report last Thursday regarding a complaint filed last year against Facebook, by the Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic (CIPPIC). The complaint is in regards to privacy and personal information about Facebooks members, in which the report found that Facebook keeps indefinitely, even after an account is closed. This and other privacy shortfalls (including third party access via Facebook Applications to users personal data) will need to be fixed or Facebook may be facing legal troubles.
Facebook released a statement which said that new privacy features are being introduce soon, to remedy any concerns people may have. In 30 days Stoddart will review any actions by Facebook. If she finds that they are not making any progress on her recommendations, then, by using Canadian federal privacy laws under the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), she may take the case to the Federal Court of Canada for enforcement.
This potential case may also raise privacy red flags in other countries, which I am sure Facebook does not want.
I bet a few dating sites will also be watching this story closely to see what Facebook does and how the Privacy Commissioner reacts. Most dating sites as far as I know keep users information for a long time as well (see Story).
For more on the story read Yahoo News, and here is the report of the Canadian Privacy Commissioner's findings.