Facebook has announced new privacy principles and educational videos surrounding users’ personal information.
“We recognize that people use Facebook to connect, but not everyone wants to share everything with everyone — including with us,” Erin Egan, chief privacy officer at Facebook, wrote in a blog post.
Going forward, educational videos will appear in News Feed that inform users on privacy topics such as how to control what information Facebook uses to show ads, how to review and delete old posts and what happens when an account is deleted.
As well, Facebook says that it will roll out a dedicated privacy centre later this year that keeps central privacy settings in one place. Facebook says the centre is being designed “based on feedback from people, policymakers and privacy experts around the world.”
For greater transparency, Facebook has also made its company privacy principles public for the first time ever.
The renewed initiative comes in response to strict European Union privacy law taking effect on May 25th. The law, known as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), aims to give citizens greater control over their personal information, including how companies are able to use it.
Under GDPR, companies will be required to report data breaches within 72 hours, as well as offer ways for customers to export and delete their data. Failure to comply can result in hefty fines.
The GDPR is said to be the largest overhaul of personal data privacy rules since the birth of the internet. While the GDPR is only EU-based, Facebook’s new privacy settings will roll out to users worldwide.
Going forward, Facebook says it will also continue to work towards holding itself accountable for keeping personal information private. “We put products through rigorous data security testing. We also meet with regulators, legislators and privacy experts around the world to get input on our data practices and policies,” Egan wrote.
Facebook’s announcement also coincides with Data Privacy Day, an international effort to promote safety, security and trust related to personal information.
Source: Facebook
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