EC Advisors Want Strict Privacy Rules On Social Networks

How high is the privacy bar on social networks? Not high enough according to an independent European Commission advisory body which has reccommended a range of ways to increase users’ privacy while on Facebook, MySpace and the rest. The EC’s data protection working party says in a 13-page policy document (pdf) that users face “major risks such as identity theft, financial loss, loss of business or employment opportunities and physical harm”, and calls for tougher rules for both networks and companies that use them…

Private vs professional: The paper notes that ordinary folk in their homes updating their Facebook page should not be hampered by any privacy law when passing on friends’ details. But if a user “acts on behalf of a company or association” that exemption doesn’t apply — if someone acting professionally passes on any information about another user, they should then seek their permission the same as a company would have to seek permission process someone’s personal details. With Twitter and Facebook increasingly used by advertisers, social marketers and public relations people, these suggestions could change the way companies interact online.

Higher default settings: The working party wants “privacy-friendly and free of charge default settings” for social networks, that automatically restrict access to user’ profile to people they have selected themselves. The paper also calls for profiles that have been inactive for a long time to be deleted, along with personal details.

Come clean on data: There should also be rules, the working party says, compelling social networks to tell users whether and how much of their data will be shared with third parties; how “sensitive” data is processed and whether it’s used for marketing. It recommends rules that would oblige users everytime they upload a photo of someone, that they need that person’s consent.

Children: The paper wants a complete ban on direct marketing “aimed specifically at minors” on social networks and that networks require the consent of adults before children can sign up. It also wants a “suitable degrees of logical separation” between children and adults so they do not socialise together.

Comments have been disabled for this post