Facebook promises to clarify privacy policy and allow more user control

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    Date: 
    1 September 2009

    Facebook will make changes to its privacy policies and practices in a move it says will help users to understand why it collects personal information and to control its use. The changes are the result of an investigation by Canada's privacy watchdog.

    The Privacy Commissioner of Canada said earlier this year that Facebook did not protect private information well enough to comply with Canada's laws on privacy. It said that the company's explanations of its privacy policies were "confusing and incomplete".

    Facebook has now said that it will clear up its descriptions of what information it collects and how and will give users more control over what information third party developers of applications within Facebook can access.

    Facebook provoked controversy when it refused to delete accounts and the information associated with them, instead allowing users to 'deactivate' them, with the information retained by Facebook in case the user wanted to reactivate their account.