Facebook Breaches Privacy Law in Canada

The Canadian Privacy Commissioner Jennifer Stoddart has issued a report which outlines how social networking site Facebook is contravening Canadian law by holding users' personal information indefinitely.

Her investigation found 'serious gaps' in the way the site operates, by holding on to subscribers' personal information, even after their accounts have been de-activated.

In her report, the web site was also criticized for allowing third parties to access sensitive user information through Facebook applications.

Canadian law requires organizations to retain such information only for as long as is necessary to meet appropriate purposes, stated Stoddart.

She said that Facebook's information about privacy practices was often confusing and incomplete, and gave the site 30 days to tighten its procedures. If her demands are not met, she will be able to take the case to the Federal Court to enforce the compliance.

Facebook, which has 250 million users worldwide, has an estimated 12 million subscribers in Canada.

The firm pledged it would work with the Canadian government to improve its privacy settings, saying: 'Facebook and the Canadian privacy commissioner's office share the common goal of making the Internet more privacy friendly for Canadians and users across the world.'