DailyTech - Facebook Changes Privacy Settings to Meet Canadian Requirements

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Internet Facebook Changes Privacy Settings to Meet Canadian Requirements
Shane McGlaun (Blog) - August 28, 2009 1:04 PM

25 comment(s) - last by matt0401.. on Sep 17 at 2:01 PM

Facebook bows to mighty Canada

Facebook first burst onto the social networking scene in 2007 as the underdog to category behemoth MySpace. In the years since its launch, Facebook has gone on to become larger than MySpace in the number of users it boasts.

One of the things that goes along with popularity for social networks are privacy concerns. Facebook has come under the guns of privacy advocates and governmental agencies out to ensure that the privacy of users is respected. DailyTech reported in July that Facebook was in violation of Canadian privacy laws and Canadian officials had demanded that changes be made to how Facebook handles user privacy.

Facebook has agreed to change its privacy settings for users in accordance with Canadian requests and has announced that among the changes will be clearer information on how users who wish to delete their accounts can do so and have the information actually deleted from Facebook servers. The change means the data is not simply marking inactive in case the user chooses to return to the network.

Other new changes will include details on why Facebook asks for things like birth dates and how to memorialize accounts of users who are deceased. Facebook will also provide clearer information on how its advertising programs work. Part of the advertising information will include new permission model that requires applications written for Facebook to specify the information the app will collect and wants to access and require express permission by the Facebook user before it can access the information.

The user will also have to approve any access to friend information on their page and the apps will have to abide by the security and privacy settings of the friends of the user as well. The changes satisfy Canadian law according to Facebook and many of the changes will begin being implemented right away. Facebook does point out that updates to its Privacy Policy will take time and will require notice to its users and time for comments on the changes before being implemented.

EWeek quotes Canadian Privacy Commissioner Jennifer Stoddart saying, "These changes mean that the privacy of 200 million Facebook users in Canada and around the world will be far better protected."

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Canada???

By DOSGuy on 8/28/2009 3:52:18 PM , Rating: 5

What I don't understand is why it took a Canadian privacy commission to order these changes. Here in Canada, we're the last Western nation to tackle any technology issue that affects consumers. It took us years longer than the U.S. to create a "Do Not Call" list, robocalls are still legal, and we still have no ruling on net neutrality or copyright reform (thank God about that last one). How can a government that is so slow to respond to consumer complaints about ISPs and telecom companies be the first to force Facebook to do something about their privacy policies? I'm absolutely amazed that this ruling didn't come from Congress.

RE: Canada???

By Lord 666 on 8/28/09, Rating: -1

RE: Canada???

By Tsuwamono on 8/29/09, Rating: -1

RE: Canada???

By eddieroolz on 8/28/2009 5:36:55 PM , Rating: 2

Remember to add to the list of virtual monopoly of GSM service by Rogers/Fido and price fixing of cellular services.

But it's all for the better. Lord666 is just sadistic and jealous that his country didn't take the initiative and change online privacy for the better.

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RE: Canada???

By matt0401 on 8/28/2009 11:49:58 PM , Rating: 3

I love being Canadian but this is a VERY valid point. Our cell service is basically a monopoly because any competitors to the largest company are using crappy old technology. Rogers is the only GSM operator in Canada. Unacceptable in my opinion!

Perhaps they ought to let US cell carriers shoot their signals over the border with directional antennas and allow Canadians to subscribe... I'm pretty sure that would cover 99% of Canadian cell phone users with just that!

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RE: Canada???

By Solandri on 8/29/2009 11:30:24 PM , Rating: 2

I'm from the U.S. and took a job in Canada a couple years back. I looked into getting a Canadian cell phone for use in Canada. It was actually cheaper for me to keep my U.S. service and add a roaming option which cut my per-minute rate for using my U.S. phone in Canada to 30 cents a minute. I would've had to have gotten a plan for something like 1000 minutes a month before a Canadian phone would've made fiscal sense.

And technically, Rogers and Fido were competitors. Until Rogers bought Fido.

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RE: Canada???

By Trippytiger on 9/1/2009 12:44:07 AM , Rating: 2

30 cents a minute is an absolutely terrible price. Canadian cell phone plans are outrageously expensive, but they are not that bad. I have a $0.30/min prepaid phone because I don't use it that much, and that is about as expensive as you can get here for voice.

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RE: Canada???

By matt0401 on 9/17/2009 2:01:17 PM , Rating: 2

30c a minute is pretty standard. Some carriers do 25c a minute. Personally, because I put $20 on the phone per month I qualify for a prepaid plan sort of thing, which makes the first 5 minutes of my day 25c, the rest 15c. Not too bad I suppose. I mostly use my cell for texting anyways. $10 a month comes off and gives me 2500 (virtually unlimited) texts per month. That leaves me with $10, $7 of which is taken off per month for unlimited internet browsing. $3 per month of talk time at that plan is fine for me, I rarely talk on my phone and instead use texting and eBuddy over the browsing.

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RE: Canada???

By SavagePotato on 8/30/2009 10:26:23 PM , Rating: 2

I may be mistaken but telus is launching it's hspa network supposedly nationwide in October, and that is gsm is it not?

Not that north america as a whole isn't still a joke for wireless service compared to elsewhere.

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RE: Canada???

By HrilL on 8/28/2009 6:15:39 PM , Rating: 3

Rofl Congress? They are worthless unless its on how to spend more money we don't have.

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RE: Canada???

By majBUZZ on 8/30/2009 5:34:42 PM , Rating: 2

Because the American political system is broken, Special interest groups and lobbyists and the banking industry have bought the govt and it no longer really represents the common people. Not only that they( banks, defence contractors, etc )bought them for peanuts compared to the profits they rake in.

Banks are really the main problem the international monetary fund and the world bank. Im no conspiracy nut but look into the policies of these institution over the last 30 years and you ll see.

check out " Wall street's toxic message" Vanity fair july 2009

But i really wonder what the fuck how can people sell out the very people they are there to represent. makes me sick and ashamed that our govt has come to this, but i guess it has always been like this. Just now with so much information out there its just not transparent anymore.

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RE: Canada???

By Trippytiger on 9/1/2009 12:41:34 AM , Rating: 2

This happened because of Canada's fairly stringent privacy laws.

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...

By BrandtTheMan on 8/28/2009 2:11:38 PM , Rating: 2

Like to keep your life private from the internet? Guess what you can do...Don't sign up to facebook, myspace, and twitter. It's so simple I tell ya. You don't have to blog about your nagging wife, how your boss can suck a dick, or how you just shit your pants and liked the way it smelled. People don't really care anyway.

RE: ...

By dark matter on 8/28/2009 4:29:27 PM , Rating: 5

And yet you expect us to care about your opinion on facebook. Oh, the irony.

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RE: ...

By walk2k on 8/28/2009 6:20:12 PM , Rating: 2

Nice rant, too bad it has nothing to do with the topic.

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Thanks

By cochy on 8/28/2009 1:33:53 PM , Rating: 3

quote:
Part of the advertising information will include new permission model that requires applications written for Facebook to specify the information the app will collect and wants to access and require express permission by the Facebook user before it can access the information

I noticed this yesterday. I promptly denied all applications access to all my information.

I'd also like to see Facebook put some type of confirmation process in place for Events. I don't like being randomly invited to Events and then spammed by the Event organizers. I'd like to first confirm the Event before anyone can send me a message.

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By on 8/30/2009 8:13:36 PM , Rating: 2

do they still own you?

By MadMan007 on 8/31/2009 12:53:18 AM , Rating: 2

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By on 9/1/2009 9:57:18 AM , Rating: 2

WOW!

By omnicronx on 8/28/09, Rating: -1

RE: WOW!

By omnicronx on 8/28/2009 8:03:09 PM , Rating: 2

hmm reading skills.. *lowers head*

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RE: WOW!

By matt0401 on 8/28/2009 11:51:32 PM , Rating: 2

lol it's okay. I thought the same thing when I read it. She just poorly worded that sentence.

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RE: WOW!

By Richlet on 8/30/2009 3:02:49 AM , Rating: 2

quote:
hmm reading skills.. *lowers head*

lol.. couldn't agree more. If one is going to hint at slagging another country, they should at least learn to read and absorb first. Credit though, there were no horrifying spelling errors or grammatical mishaps in his statement. He just misread the column.

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