FTC accepts Facebook's final settlement concerning user privacy

Published: Friday, Aug. 10 2012 9:38 a.m. MDT

FILE - This Oct. 11, 2010 file photo, shows the logo of the online network Facebook, recorded in Munich with a magnifying glass of a computer screen of a laptop. Facebook said Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2011, it is settling with the Federal Trade Commission over charges it deceived consumers. The FTC had charged that the social network told people they could keep the information they share private and then allowed for it to be made public. The charges go back to 2009.

dapd, Joerg Koch, Associated Press

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Summary

The Federal Trade Commission approved a final settlement with Facebook today after the social network company was accused of deceiving customers telling them their information is private then sharing it with the public.

Facebook must now give users a “clear prominent notice and obtaining express consent before sharing private information beyond their privacy settings,” according to a statement from the FTC.

The Commission voted 3-1-1 to approve the final settlement.

“The Commission statement affirmed that, based on the extensive investigation of the staff, there is a strong reason to believe that the settlement is in the public interest, and that the Order's provisions make clear that Facebook will be liable for a broad range of deceptive conduct,” the FTC said in a statement.

FTC Commissioner J. Thomas Rosch dissented from the acceptance, claiming that Facebook’s denial of liability led him to question whether the settlement was “in the interest of the public,” according to the statement.

EMAIL: jferguson@desnews.com TWITTER: @joeyferguson

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