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Facebook in trouble with Canadian watchdog

by on17 July 2009

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Privacy problems

Social notworking site Facebook is in hot water with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.

The problem is the way that Facebook shares its users' personal information with developers who create games and quizzes. Facebook also breaks Canadian law by keeping data indefinitely after users deactivate their accounts, contrary to the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act.

A report released Thursday by assistant privacy commissioner Elizabeth Denham said that users could not always give "meaningful consent" to the use of their personal information due to a lack of transparency on the site. Although Facebook provides information about privacy issues, it is often “confusing or incomplete," Denham said.

She said that users should be able to opt out of actions that could lead them to lose control over their personal information, she added.
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