Facebook announces new privacy settings amid data scandal
Facebook said it will launch a range of new tools to “to put people more in control of their privacy.” Users will be able to find their privacy options in one place and delete information they have shared already.
In this file photo taken on March 21, 2018 a lit sign is seen at the entrance to Facebook’s corporate headquarters location in Menlo Park, California. (AFP)
Facebook said on Wednesday it would overhaul its privacy settings tools to put users “more in control” of their information on the social media website.
The updates include improved access to Facebook’s user settings and tools to easily search for, download and delete personal data stored by Facebook.
Meanwhile, a new privacy shortcuts menu would allow users to quickly increase account security, manage who can see their information and activity on the site and control advertisements they see.
“We’ve heard loud and clear that privacy settings and other important tools are too hard to find and that we must do more to keep people informed,” chief privacy officer Erin Egan and deputy general counsel Ashlie Beringer said in a blog post.
“We’re taking additional steps in the coming weeks to put people more in control of their privacy,” they confirmed.
The new features follow fierce criticism after it was revealed millions of Facebook users’ personal data was harvested by a British firm linked to Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign – although Facebook said they had been “in the works for some time.”
Earlier this month, whistle-blower Christopher Wylie revealed Cambridge Analytica created psychological profiles on 50 million Facebook users via a personality prediction app.
The app was downloaded by 270,000 people, but also scooped up their friends’ data without consent – as was possible under Facebook’s rules at the time.
Egan and Beringer also announced updates to Facebook’s terms of service and data policy to improve transparency about how the site collected and used data.
Source: AFP
