Entries tagged with: Social Networking

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White House Explores Social Media "Bias"

The White House is today hosting a social media summit to examine allegations of bias and censorship. EPIC objected to an earlier White House survey on this topic, noting that the White House failed to protect the privacy of respondents....

New Study Shows Public Does Not Trust Social Media Privacy, Supports Stronger Privacy Laws

A new survey supported by the Craig Newmark Foundation shows that while 80% of Americans use social media daily, 96% do not trust social networks to protect their privacy. The survey found that only 7% of millennials trust these sites...

With New Policy Changes, Facebook Tracks Users Across the Web

Over the objections of consumer privacy organizations, Facebook has implemented policy changes that allow the company to track users across the web without consent. The Dutch data protection commissioner launched an investigation after the original announcement. This week the a...

White House Updates Privacy Policy, Maintains Anonymous Access But Also Data Retention

A revised privacy policy for the White House will go into effect on April 18, 2014. Users will continue to be able to access information posted on the White House web site anonymously, though personal information will be required for...

WhatsApp Founder Responds to EPIC Privacy Complaint

Following Facebook's announced plan to purchase WhatsApp, a popular pro-privacy messaging services, EPIC urged the FTC to block the acquisition. EPIC explained to the Commission that Facebook incorporates user data from companies it acquires, and that WhatsApp users objected to...

Federal Court Awards EPIC $30,000 in Social Media Monitoring Case

EPIC has prevailed in a fee dispute with the Department of Homeland Security in an open government case concerning the government’s monitoring of social media. EPIC filed a FOIA request after the agency announced plans to gather information from "online...

Supreme Court Lets Stand Contested Facebook Settlement, But Chief Justice Cautions About Future Cases

The Supreme Court has denied a petition for review in Marek v. Lane, a decision upholding the class action settlement of Facebook’s controversial "Beacon" Program. The settlement provided substantial fees to attorneys, no benefits to class members, and established a...

Pew Survey Finds that Vast Majority of Americans Take Steps to Maintain Privacy Online

A recent survey by the Pew Research Center's Internet Project has discovered that 86 percent of Americans take steps to conceal their actions or identities while online. The survey also found that 21 percent had an email or social networking...

Pew Survey Finds Teens Using Privacy Controls on Social Media

A survey by the Pew Internet and American Life Project and the Berkman Center for Internet and Society found that while teens are disclosing more personal information on social media, the vast majority are actively taking steps to protect their...

EPIC Asks FTC to Investigate Snapchat

EPIC filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission against Snapchat, the publisher of a mobile app that encourages user to share intimate photos and videos. The company represents that users can make photos and videos "disappear forever." In fact,...

EPIC Pursues Public Release of Facebook and MySpace Privacy Reports

EPIC has submitted Freedom of Information Act requests for the release of the privacy assessments of Facebook and MySpace submitted to the Federal Trade Commission. As a result of privacy violations, both companies are required to implement comprehensive privacy programs...

Instagram Retreats on Changes to Terms of Service, Cites User Opposition

Instagram announced that it would withdraw proposed changes to its terms of service announced earlier this week. Instagram backed off a plan to use the names, images, and photos of users for advertising purposes, pleading instead to "complete our plans,...

Instagram Privacy Change Raises Legal Questions

Instagram recently announced several changes to the terms of service that will allow the company to use pictures in advertisements without notifying or compensating users, and to disclose user data to Facebook and to advertisers. Instagram also proposed that the...

Facebook Updates Privacy Controls, Removes Profiles Safeguard

Facebook announced changes to its privacy controls and the privacy settings of its users. The changes include settings that allow users to choose which information apps can access and disclose, and a privacy shortcuts menu. But Facebook also removed an...

88% of Facebook Users Oppose Changes to Privacy Policy and Voting Rights, EPIC Urges FB to Withdraw Proposal

Preliminary results from the recent Facebook Site Governance Vote, indicate that 589,141 Facebook users voted to keep the existing Statement of Rights and Responsibilities and Privacy Policy. Only 79,731 voted for the proposed changes. In the largest vote in Facebook...

EPIC Urges Vote for EXISTING Facebook Documents

Facebook has proposed changes to its policies that would (1) end user voting, (2) remove spam blocking, and (3) share FB user data with affiliates without user consent. EPIC and others are urging Faceboook users to participate in the Facebook...

Facebook Ceases Facial Recognition in European Union

The Irish Data Protection Commissioner issued a report finding that Facebook has implemented many of the Commissioner’s recommendations, such as halting the automatic use of facial recognition through "tag suggestions." Facebook has agreed to give users the choice over the...

FTC Finalizes Settlement with Myspace

The Federal Trade Commission has finalized the terms of a settlement with Myspace. The settlement follows from allegations that Myspace allowed advertisers to access personally-identifying information after promising to keep such information private. The settlement requires Myspace to implement a...

Judge Rejects Settlement in Facebook "Sponsored Stories" Case

A federal judge has rejected a proposed settlement in a class-action lawsuit about Facebook's unapproved use of user images for advertising purposes. The judge, who had previously expressed skepticism about the terms of the settlement, wrote that the plaintiffs had...

Illinois Becomes Third State to Prohibit Employers from Demanding Facebook Information

Illinois Governor Pat Quinn has signed a bill that will prohibit employers from seeking the social network usernames and passwords of others. The Right to Privacy in the Workplace Act takes effect on January 1, 2013, and will result in...

EPIC Objects to Facebook Settlement, Cites Failure to Benefit Class Members

EPIC has asked a federal judge to reject a pending class action settlement concerning Facebook, stating that it does not actually benefit Facebook users. In one letter to the court, EPIC explained that the settlement does not fix the problem...

EPIC Calls On FTC to Investigate Facebook Email Changes

EPIC has asked the Federal Trade Commission to review Facebook's decision to change the default email address of Facebook users. The company recently removed email addresses, selected by users, with a @facebook.com address assigned by Facebook. EPIC asked the FTC...

Facebook Acquires Facial Recognition Company Face.com

Facebook announced the acquisition of Face.com, a facial recognition technology company and long-time business partner of Facebook. Facebook uses an automatic facial recognition system, called "tag suggestions," to create a database of users' biometric information. Last year, EPIC filed a...

EPIC Urges FTC to Protect Privacy of Myspace Users

EPIC submitted comments to the Federal Trade Commission on a proposed settlement with Myspace. The settlement follows from allegations that Myspace allowed advertisers to access personally-identifying information after promising to keep such information private. The settlement requires Myspace to implement...

Facebook Users Force Vote on Privacy Changes

Facebook users have registered enough comments on Facebook's proposed privacy changes to force a vote on the issue. A provision in Facebook’s Statement of Rights and Responsibilities states that Facebook will allow users to vote on proposed alternatives if more...

Myspace Settles With FTC Over Deceptive Practices Complaint

The Federal Trade Commission has reached a settlement with the social networking service Myspace over charges that Myspace allowed advertisers to access personally-identifying information after promising to keep such information private. Advertisers were able to access the unique "Friend ID"...

Following Maryland, Congress and California Consider Bills Banning Employers From Asking for Facebook Passwords

Reps. Eliot Engel (D-NY) and Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) introduced the Social Networking Online Protection Act, a bill that would prohibit employers, colleges, universities, and K-12 schools from seeking usernames or passwords for the social media accounts of employees or students....

Facebook Asks for Feedback after Policy Changes

Facebook has re-opened its Statement of Rights and Responsibilities for comment after making changes to the original document. Although users’ personal data can still be accessed by the apps of their friends, Facebook clarified that users could prevent this by...

Facebook Offers Revised “Download Your Information” Option

The New York Times reported that Facebook would provide users with a downloadable archive containing many types of data that the company stores about users. Although the new archive contains more user information than Facebook first offered in 2010, Max...

Maryland Passes Bill Banning Employers from Demanding Facebook Information

The Maryland legislature passed the first bill banning employers from asking employees or applicants for social networking passwords. The bill was introduced after Robert Collins, an employee at the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, was asked to turn...

Senators Call for Investigation into Employer Demands for Facebook Passwords

Senators Blumenthal and Schumer asked the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Department of Justice to investigate the practice of employers asking job applicants to surrender Facebook user names and passwords. The Senators pointed out that accessing an applicant's profile...

Facebook Policy Changes Raises Questions About Compliance with 2011 Consent Order

Facebook has begun to review comments on changes to its Statement of Rights and Responsibilities. Among other changes, Facebook now states that a user's information is disclosed to apps used by his or her friends, that Facebook software or plugins...

Pew Study: Social Media Users Active in Protecting Privacy

A Pew study found that users are becoming more active in managing their social media accounts. Compared to 2009, a higher percentage of users reported deleting people from their “friends” lists, deleting comments made by others on their profile, and...

Congress to Hold Hearing on Department of Homeland Security Social Network Monitoring

On February 16, 2012, the House Committee on Homeland Security will hold a hearing on "DHS Monitoring of Social Networking and Media: Enhancing Intelligence Gathering and Ensuring Privacy." The hearing was called after EPIC obtained nearly 300 pages of documents,...

EPIC Calls for Moratorium on Facial Recognition Technology

In detailed comments to the Federal Trade Commission, EPIC today recommended the suspension of facial recognition technology deployment until adequate safeguards and privacy standards are established. EPIC said that facial recognition is often used by strangers to determine a person's...

EPIC Urges FTC Investigation into Facebook Timeline

EPIC sent a letter requesting that the Federal Trade Commission determine whether changes Facebook has made to the profiles of its users are consistent with the terms of a settlement reached between Facebook and the FTC. EPIC's letter states that...

EPIC Submits Comments on FTC Facebook Privacy Settlement

EPIC submitted comments to the FTC on a proposed settlement with Facebook. The settlement follows from complaints filed by EPIC and other consumer and privacy organizations in 2009 and 2010 over Facebook’s decision to change its users' privacy settings in...

EPIC Sues DHS Over Covert Surveillance of Facebook and Twitter

EPIC has filed a Freedom of information Act lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security to force disclosure of the details of the agency's social network monitoring program. In news reports and a Federal Register notice, the DHS has stated...

Facebook Timeline Changes User Privacy Settings. Again.

Without user consent, Facebook announced today that it would post archived user information, making old posts available under Facebook's current downgraded privacy settings. Users have just a week to clean up their history before Timeline goes live. The surprising announcement...

EPIC Launches Campaign Urging Public Comment on Facebook Privacy Settlement

EPIC launched the "Fix FB Privacy Fail" campaign to encourage the public to support improvements to a settlement between Facebook and the FTC. The settlement follows from complaints filed by EPIC and other consumer and privacy organizations in 2009 and...

Federal Trade Commission Announces Settlement in EPIC Facebook Privacy Complaint

The Federal Trade Commission has announced an agreement with Facebook that follows from complaints filed by EPIC and other consumer and privacy organizations in 2009 and 2010. In 2009, the EPIC first asked the FTC to investigate Facebook's decision to...

Federal Trade Commission to Announce Settlement in EPIC Facebook Privacy Complaint

The Federal Trade Commission has scheduled a 1:00 pm EDT press conference to announce a privacy settlement with Facebook, following a complaint that was filed by EPIC and other consumer and privacy organizations. More news to follow....

Federal Judge Orders Twitter to Turn Over Information About Wikileaks Supporters

A federal district judge in Virginia has ordered Twitter to make available to the Justice Department the personal information - including IP addresses, session times, and relationships between other Twitter users - of people who may have supported Wikileaks. In...

WSJ: Facebook Close to Settlement with FTC over EPIC Complaint

The Wall Street Journal reports that the Federal Trade Commission is finalizing a settlement with Facebook that follows from a complaint from EPIC and a coalition of US consumer and privacy organizations. In 2009, the organizations urged the Commission to...

Congress, #KWTK Presses Facebook to Disclose Secret Profiles

Lawmakers in Washington have sent a letter to Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook's CEO, asking questions about the company's data retention practices, following a news report that a single European Facebook user obtained more than 1,200 pages of his own personal data...

Sen. Rockefeller Requests FTC Report on Facial Recognition Technology

Senator John D. Rockefeller (D-WV) sent a letter requesting that the Federal Trade Commission assess the use of facial recognition technology and recommend legislation to protect privacy. Facial recognition technology is being used by technology firms and also police agencies,...

Facebook Makes Some Changes, Privacy Complaints Still Pending

In response to several complaints filed by EPIC with the Federal Trade Commission, Facebook announced that it would make some changes in its business practices, including providing more accurate information about the disclosure of user data to others and new...

Twitter Adopts Privacy Enhancing Technique, Defaults to HTTPS

Twitter has joined the ranks of Gmail with a decision to implement HTTPS functionality by default for all users in order to encrypt data and protect privacy. The change stems from several security problems in early 2011, including two incidents...

Government Accountability Office: Agencies Must Improve Social Networking Privacy, Security

An independent report recommends that federal agencies "improve their development and implementation of policies and procedures for managing and protecting information associated with social media use." The Government Accountability Office, an independent, nonpartisan agency, surveyed twenty-three agencies concerning privacy and...

Facebook Makes Changes to Facial Recognition; Still Relying on Opt-Out

In response to a letter from the Connecticut Attorney General, Facebook agreed to run ads that link users to their privacy settings and show them how to opt-out of Facebook's facial recognition program. The ads are new, but Facebook has...