The U.S. Federal Trade Commission said Facebook Inc. (FB) has
finalized its settlement of charges that it deceived users about
its use of their personal information.
Facebook first agreed to the settlement in November, prompting a
period of public comment that has just ended.
The regulatory agency had charged that Facebook promised
consumers they could keep their data private, and then repeatedly
allowed the information to be shared and made public.
Facebook wasn't immediately available for comment Friday. But
Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg posted on his Facebook page last
year that the company had made a "small number of high profile
mistakes" and put the FTC deal in context of a broader push by the
government to protect consumer privacy.
The settlement requires the company to give consumers clear and
prominent notice and obtain their express consent before sharing
information beyond their privacy settings, the U.S. regulator said.
Facebook will also be required to maintain a privacy program to
protect consumers' information, and get third-party audits every
two years.
FTC Commissioner J. Thomas Rosch dissented from the order,
expressing concerns about Facebook's denial of liability, and
adding that the agreement may not unequivocally cover all
representations made by the company.
The settlement comes amid mounting privacy concerns about the
personal data that tech companies glean from social media,
websites, browsers and cell phones, and share with advertisers or
the public.
Google Inc. (GOOG) earlier this week agreed to pay $22.5 million
to settle an FTC charge that it secretly bypassed the privacy
settings of millions of people who use Apple Inc. (AAPL)
devices.
Write to Kristin Jones at kristin.jones@dowjones.com
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