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After Canadian Prodding, Facebook To Change Privacy Policy
Retardical_Sam writes "Facebook has agreed to make changes to protect users' personal information on the social networking site, including the way data is accessed by third-party developers, Canada's privacy commissioner said Thursday.
Canadian officials have been negotiating with Facebook since the Office of the Privacy Commissioner released a report a month ago that argued the social network breaches Canadian privacy law.
Facebook agreed to make changes dealing with third-party applications like quizzes and games, deactivation of accounts, the personal identification of non-users and accounts of users who die."
I'll believe it when the changes are made. Facebook really doesn't like giving your rights back.
"Going to war without the French is like going deer hunting without your accordion." ~General Norman Schwarzkopf
Or will they wait for other countries to sue them? If so, who do I call in the US to ask them to sue?
excitingthingstodo.blogspot.com
Maybe now I can finally tell them to permanently delete my account from the databases. Maybe? I hope so..
I like broadcasting all my personal info to all sorts of commercial interests. I like being exploited by the large faceless company.
Joking aside, I suspect this will have very little in the way of practical change. For example, according to TFA the changes will among other things "Prevent games, quizzes and other applications developed by third parties from accessing information until it obtains express consent for each category of personal information." Most users aren't going to think hard about this and will simply click through repeatedly. People almost never bother reading warnings or paying much attention to them. Technological change can't do much to deal with a population that either doesn't understand or doesn't care how vulnerable it is.
Has Canada gotten so messed up that they actually believe the dead have privacy rights? If one slanders the dead do they spin in their graves? Perhaps we should send Viagra to the dead just in case they feel an urge.
> Canadian officials have been negotiating with Facebook since the Office
> of the Privacy Commissioner released a report a month ago that argued
> the social network breaches Canadian privacy law.
Canadian Official: Ok, then. Let the negotiations commence. Now, you're violating our law. What are you going to do or else we punish you with fines?
Facebook: Nothing but a token slap on the wrist, or we cut off Canadians from "illegal" but popular Facebook, Mr. Official Whose Boss Ultimately Is An Elected Official Up For Re-Election In No More Than Four Years, Max.
Homer: "...so on and and so forth."
Which, by the way, is the correct way of things.
(-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
I'd happily give Facebook my name, address, social security number, and checking account information if they would only introduce a "HIDE ALL QUIZZES" feature.
God, I am so sick of logging into Facebook only to find the feed populated with stupid quizzes like "What type of garden tool are you?" The quizzes are far more annoying than the apps.
I'm sure I talk for all Canadians, because of course our country is so small that everybody knows everyone, when I say "we're sorry, eh".
Another issue the privacy commissioner is dealing with will likely bring a smile to the /.'s here: the absolute pants security of RFID systems in travel documents.
The problem came to a head because the DHS in the states demanded that border-crossing documents have RFID devices with biometrics in them. We used to be able to use our driver's licenses, but now we need a passport. They wanted that flexibility back, because it's so much less hassle to get a license than a passport, so the Ontario DOT agreed to add the RFID to the new driver's licenses. It's going to be phased in, but unless you want the rubber-glove treatment, you'll want one sooner rather than later.
Everyone's been complaining about the security of these systems, but it fell on deaf ears. Until the Ontario commissioner got involved, that is. After brick-walling against the DHS she then got the Ontario DOT to issue RFID-proof wrappers with the cards. She admits they're less than ideal, thought.
The longer term solution that she wants to implement is a portion of the card that acts as a capacitive switch, only turning on the RFID when you hold it. They'll put one on the corner of the card, with a little graphic saying "hold here while reading". When it's in your pocket the RFID will be dead, so surreptitious scanning is difficult, or impossible. I thought this was a particularly elegant solution.
While the privacy commissioner's office had recommended in its report that Facebook have a retention policy specifying how long it will keep information after a user has deactivated his or her account before deleting the information, the office eventually agreed to let Facebook keep the information indefinitely. Denham said Facebook's agreement to provide clarity about the issue is acceptable and in compliance with Canadian law.
Sooooo I guess even deleting your account they still get to keep all your information, pictures, etc.
That is unfortunate and a little unsettling that the information and pictures I have deleted they still own.
I can't believe the govt. backed down on that, it was what I was most looking forward to.
Too bad, they don't seem to find any time for the major invasion of privacy by the government, that may well become law, if efforts to derail "Obamacare" fail...
One can simply not sign-up with Facebook, but "opting out" of national-socialist health care will be impossible... And yet, the ACLU and EFF are silent — are they, perhaps, being partisan and rooting for the proposal to succeed, privacy be damned? Well, ACLU are busy helping America's enemies identify Americans, who fought them. But EFF? The threat I'm talking about — sharing of income and medical data electronically between State and Federal government agencies — is right up their valley...
In Soviet Washington the swamp drains you.
Of course, noone's going to be reading this reply, since I just gave it what The New Republic declared to be the most boring headline in the world. Still. hooray. hooray for canada. *golfclap*