The federal privacy commission says it's having constructive talks with Facebook over concerns the social networking website is violating Canadian privacy law.
Representatives for Facebook were expected to submit a proposal and timeline to Privacy Commissioner Jennifer Stoddart on Monday, and the company said it would meet that deadline.
Anne-Marie Hayden, a spokesperson for the privacy commission, said Facebook was making an effort to address its concerns.
"I think that discussions are going well and we remain hopeful," she told The Canadian Press.
On July 16, Stoddart found that Facebook contravenes Canada's five-year-old Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act because the site keeps users' personal information indefinitely, regardless of whether they close their accounts.
She also criticized Facebook sharing users' files with nearly one million third-party software developers around the world, who create applications for the site, such as "Finish the Lyrics" music quizzes and virtual pillow fight games.
Stoddart made several recommendations designed to protect the privacy of those using the website in Canada.
They include:
- Clarifying Facebook's privacy policies
- Making it easier for users to remove their profiles
- Curbing the amount of personal information the site collects from its members
She gave the website 30 days to implement the recommendations. If Stoddart isn't satisfied with the response by Monday, she has two weeks to get a court order demanding that Facebook comply.
Facebook said it would introduce a number of new features in the near future to address privacy concerns. It has also notified users of proposed changes to its privacy policies in a statement last week, asking for feedback by Tuesday morning.
"You will have a privacy policy or otherwise make it clear to users what user data you are going to use and how you will use, display, or share that data," the proposed policy reads, referring to third-party software developers.
"When you add an application and use Platform, your content and information is shared with the Application," it advises users. "We require applications to respect your privacy settings, but your agreement with that application will control how the application can use the content and information you share."
Almost 12 million Canadians are users of the website. It came under investigation after a public interest group at the University of Ottawa, called The Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic, made a complaint last year.
With files from The Canadian Press
