US Court has approved $650 million privacy dispute, Facebook needs to pay the amount over the Facial recognition feature . Facebook also has been accused of violating the privacy law.

Facebook to pay over privacy dispute

The US government today imposed $5 billion fine on <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/facebook-should-not-be-trusted-with-crazy-cryptocurrency-plan-us-senators-236538">Facebook </a>as part of its privacy probe.

Despite repeated promises to its billions of users worldwide that they could control how their personal information is shared, Facebook undermined consumers' choices," FTC chairman Joe Simons said in a statement.

The Federal Trade Commission said the penalty was the largest ever imposed on any company for violating consumers' privacy and one of the largest penalties ever assessed by the US government for any violation.

The FTC asked the social network company to&nbsp;"submit to new restrictions and a modified corporate structure."

The FTC voted 3-2 along party lines to adopt the settlement, which requires court approval.

The probe focused on whether <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/in-a-world-first-facebook-to-give-data-on-hate-speech-suspects-to-french-courts-230477">Facebook's data-sharing </a>violated a 2011 consent agreement between Facebook and the regulator which then widened to include other privacy allegations.

Facebook faces further scrutiny including anti-trust probes.&nbsp;

The FTC said Zuckerberg or others filing a false certification could face civil and criminal penalties.

Facebook&nbsp;also is barred from asking for email passwords to other services when consumers sign up.

Facebook&nbsp;is barred from using telephone numbers obtained in a security feature, like two-factor authentication, for advertising and must get user consent if it plans to use data from facial recognition technology.

Facebook is set to report earnings on Wednesday with experts keen to watch its share prices today.

The US government today imposed $5 billion fine on Facebook as part of its privacy probe. Despite repeated promises to its billions of users worldwide that they could control how their personal information is shared, Facebook undermined consumers' choices," FTC chairman Joe Simons said in a statement.

The US government today imposed $5 billion fine on Facebook as part of its privacy probe. Despite repeated promises to its billions of users worldwide that they could control how their personal information is shared, Facebook undermined consumers' choices," FTC chairman Joe Simons said in a statement. The Federal Trade Commission said the penalty was the largest ever imposed on any company for violating consumers' privacy and one of the largest penalties ever assessed by the US government for any violation. The FTC asked the social network company to "submit to new restrictions and a modified corporate structure." The FTC voted 3-2 along party lines to adopt the settlement, which requires court approval. The probe focused on whether Facebook's data-sharing violated a 2011 consent agreement between Facebook and the regulator which then widened to include other privacy allegations. Facebook faces further scrutiny including anti-trust probes. The FTC said Zuckerberg or others filing a false certification could face civil and criminal penalties. Facebook also is barred from asking for email passwords to other services when consumers sign up. Facebook is barred from using telephone numbers obtained in a security feature, like two-factor authentication, for advertising and must get user consent if it plans to use data from facial recognition technology. Facebook is set to report earnings on Wednesday with experts keen to watch its share prices today.

US regulator imposes $5 billion fine on Facebook over privacy probe

Concern about Facebook&nbsp;respect for data privacy is widening to include the information it collects about non-users, after Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg said the world's largest social network tracks people whether they have accounts or not.

Privacy concerns have swamped Facebook since it acknowledged last month that information about millions of users wrongly ended up in the hands of political consultancy Cambridge Analytica, a firm that has counted US President Donald Trump's 2016 electoral campaign among its clients.&nbsp;

Zuckerberg said on Wednesday under questioning by US Representative Ben Luján that, for security reasons, Facebook also collects "data of people who have not signed up for Facebook."

Lawmakers and privacy advocates immediately protested the practice, with many saying Facebook needed to develop a way for non-users to find out what the company knows about them.&nbsp;

"We've got to fix that," Representative Luján, a Democrat, told Zuckerberg, calling for such disclosure, a move that would have unclear effects on the company's ability to target ads. Zuckerberg did not respond. On Friday Facebook said it had no plans to build such a tool.

Critics said that Zuckerberg has not said enough about the extent and use of the data. "It's not clear what Facebook is doing with that information," said Chris Calabrese, vice president for policy at the Center for Democracy & Technology, a Washington advocacy group.

Cookies Everywhere

Facebook gets some data on non-users from people on its network, such as when a user uploads email addresses of friends. Other information comes from "cookies," small files stored via a browser and used by Facebook and others to track people on the internet, sometimes to target them with ads.

"This kind of data collection is fundamental to how the internet works," Facebook said in a statement to Reuters.

Asked if people could opt out, Facebook added, "There are basic things you can do to limit the use of this information for advertising, like using browser or device settings to delete cookies. This would apply to other services beyond Facebook because, as mentioned, it is standard to how the internet works."&nbsp;

Facebook often installs cookies on non-users` browsers if they visit sites with Facebook "like" and "share" buttons, whether or not a person pushes a button. Facebook said it uses browsing data to create analytics reports, including about traffic to a site.

The company said it does not use the data to target ads, except those inviting people to join Facebook.

Targeting Facebook

Advocates and lawmakers say they are singling out Facebook because of its size, rivaled outside China only by Alphabet Google, and because they allege Zuckerberg was not forthcoming about the extent and reasons for the tracking.

"He's either deliberately misunderstanding some of the questions, or he's not clear about what's actually happening inside Facebook's operation," said Daniel Kahn Gillmor, a senior staff technologist at the American Civil Liberties Union.

Zuckerberg, for instance, said the collection was done for security purposes, without explaining further or saying whether it was also used for measurement or analytics, Gillmor said, adding that Facebook had a business incentive to use the non-user data to target ads.&nbsp;

Facebook declined to comment on why Zuckerberg referred to security only.&nbsp;

Gillmor said Facebook could build databases on non-users by combining web browsing history with uploaded contacts. Facebook said on Friday that it does not do so.&nbsp;

The ACLU is pushing US lawmakers to enact broad privacy legislation including a requirement for consent prior to data collection.

The first regulatory challenge to Facebook's practices for non-users may come next month when a new European Union law, known as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), takes effect and requires notice and consent prior to data collection.

At a minimum, "Facebook is going to have to think about ways to structure their technology to give that proper notice," said Woodrow Hartzog, a Northeastern University professor of law and computer science.

Facebook said in its statement on Friday, "Our products and services comply with applicable law and will comply with GDPR."&nbsp;

The social network would be wise to recognize at least a right to know, said Michael Froomkin, a University of Miami law professor.

"If I'm not a Facebook user, I ought to have a right to know what data Facebook has about me," Froomkin said.&nbsp;

Facebook also collects 'data of people who have not signed up for Facebook', Zuckerberg said while being questioned in the US Congress

Concern about Facebook respect for data privacy is widening to include the information it collects about non-users, after Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg said the world's largest social network tracks people whether they have accounts or not. Privacy concerns have swamped Facebook since it acknowledged last month that information about millions of users wrongly ended up in the hands of political consultancy Cambridge Analytica, a firm that has counted US President Donald Trump's 2016 electoral campaign among its clients. Zuckerberg said on Wednesday under questioning by US Representative Ben Luján that, for security reasons, Facebook also collects "data of people who have not signed up for Facebook." Lawmakers and privacy advocates immediately protested the practice, with many saying Facebook needed to develop a way for non-users to find out what the company knows about them. "We've got to fix that," Representative Luján, a Democrat, told Zuckerberg, calling for such disclosure, a move that would have unclear effects on the company's ability to target ads. Zuckerberg did not respond. On Friday Facebook said it had no plans to build such a tool. Critics said that Zuckerberg has not said enough about the extent and use of the data. "It's not clear what Facebook is doing with that information," said Chris Calabrese, vice president for policy at the Center for Democracy & Technology, a Washington advocacy group. Cookies Everywhere Facebook gets some data on non-users from people on its network, such as when a user uploads email addresses of friends. Other information comes from "cookies," small files stored via a browser and used by Facebook and others to track people on the internet, sometimes to target them with ads. "This kind of data collection is fundamental to how the internet works," Facebook said in a statement to Reuters. Asked if people could opt out, Facebook added, "There are basic things you can do to limit the use of this information for advertising, like using browser or device settings to delete cookies. This would apply to other services beyond Facebook because, as mentioned, it is standard to how the internet works." Facebook often installs cookies on non-users` browsers if they visit sites with Facebook "like" and "share" buttons, whether or not a person pushes a button. Facebook said it uses browsing data to create analytics reports, including about traffic to a site. The company said it does not use the data to target ads, except those inviting people to join Facebook. Targeting Facebook Advocates and lawmakers say they are singling out Facebook because of its size, rivaled outside China only by Alphabet Google, and because they allege Zuckerberg was not forthcoming about the extent and reasons for the tracking. "He's either deliberately misunderstanding some of the questions, or he's not clear about what's actually happening inside Facebook's operation," said Daniel Kahn Gillmor, a senior staff technologist at the American Civil Liberties Union. Zuckerberg, for instance, said the collection was done for security purposes, without explaining further or saying whether it was also used for measurement or analytics, Gillmor said, adding that Facebook had a business incentive to use the non-user data to target ads. Facebook declined to comment on why Zuckerberg referred to security only. Gillmor said Facebook could build databases on non-users by combining web browsing history with uploaded contacts. Facebook said on Friday that it does not do so. The ACLU is pushing US lawmakers to enact broad privacy legislation including a requirement for consent prior to data collection. The first regulatory challenge to Facebook's practices for non-users may come next month when a new European Union law, known as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), takes effect and requires notice and consent prior to data collection. At a minimum, "Facebook is going to have to think about ways to structure their technology to give that proper notice," said Woodrow Hartzog, a Northeastern University professor of law and computer science. Facebook said in its statement on Friday, "Our products and services comply with applicable law and will comply with GDPR." The social network would be wise to recognize at least a right to know, said Michael Froomkin, a University of Miami law professor. "If I'm not a Facebook user, I ought to have a right to know what data Facebook has about me," Froomkin said.

Facebook also tracks non-users, says Mark Zuckerberg

Facebook Inc barred software developers on Monday from using the massive social network&#39;s data to create surveillance tools, closing off a process that had been exploited by US&nbsp;police departments to track protesters

Facebook, its Instagram unit and rival Twitter Inc came under fire last year from privacy advocates after the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) said in a report that police were using location data and other user information to spy on protesters in places such as Ferguson, Missouri.

In response to the ACLU report, the companies shut off the data access of Geofeedia, a Chicago-based data vendor that said it works with organisations to &quot;leverage social media&quot;, but Facebook policy had not explicitly barred such use of data in the future.

&quot;Our goal is to make our policy explicit,&quot; Rob Sherman, Facebook&#39;s deputy chief privacy officer, said in a post on the social network on Monday. He was not immediately available for an interview.

The change would help build &quot;a community where people can feel safe making their voices heard,&quot; Sherman said.

Racially charged protests broke out in the St. Louis suburb of Ferguson in the aftermath of the August 2014 shooting of black teenager Michael Brown by a white police officer.

In a 2015 email message, a Geofeedia employee touted its &quot;great success&quot; covering the protests, according to the ACLU report based on government records.

Representatives of Geofeedia could not immediately be reached for comment on Monday. The company has worked with more than 500 law enforcement agencies, the ACLU said.

Geofeedia Chief Executive Officer Phil Harris said in October that the company was committed to privacy and would work to build on civil rights protections.

Major social media platforms including Twitter and Alphabet Inc&#39;s YouTube have taken action or implemented policies similar to Facebook&#39;s, said Nicole Ozer, technology and civil liberties policy director at the ACLU of Northern California.

Ozer praised the companies&#39; action but said they should have stopped such use of data earlier. &quot;It shouldn&#39;t take a public records request from the ACLU for these companies to know what their developers are doing,&quot; she said.

It was also unclear how the companies would enforce their policies, said Malkia Cyril, executive director of the Center for Media Justice, a nonprofit that opposes government use of social media for surveillance.

Inside corporations, &quot;is the will there, without constant activist pressure, to enforce these rules?&quot; Cyril said.

(Reuters)

Facebook came under fire last year from privacy advocates for using location data and other user information to spy on protesters

Facebook Inc barred software developers on Monday from using the massive social network's data to create surveillance tools, closing off a process that had been exploited by US police departments to track protesters Facebook, its Instagram unit and rival Twitter Inc came under fire last year from privacy advocates after the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) said in a report that police were using location data and other user information to spy on protesters in places such as Ferguson, Missouri. In response to the ACLU report, the companies shut off the data access of Geofeedia, a Chicago-based data vendor that said it works with organisations to "leverage social media", but Facebook policy had not explicitly barred such use of data in the future. "Our goal is to make our policy explicit," Rob Sherman, Facebook's deputy chief privacy officer, said in a post on the social network on Monday. He was not immediately available for an interview. The change would help build "a community where people can feel safe making their voices heard," Sherman said. Racially charged protests broke out in the St. Louis suburb of Ferguson in the aftermath of the August 2014 shooting of black teenager Michael Brown by a white police officer. In a 2015 email message, a Geofeedia employee touted its "great success" covering the protests, according to the ACLU report based on government records. Representatives of Geofeedia could not immediately be reached for comment on Monday. The company has worked with more than 500 law enforcement agencies, the ACLU said. Geofeedia Chief Executive Officer Phil Harris said in October that the company was committed to privacy and would work to build on civil rights protections. Major social media platforms including Twitter and Alphabet Inc's YouTube have taken action or implemented policies similar to Facebook's, said Nicole Ozer, technology and civil liberties policy director at the ACLU of Northern California. Ozer praised the companies' action but said they should have stopped such use of data earlier. "It shouldn't take a public records request from the ACLU for these companies to know what their developers are doing," she said. It was also unclear how the companies would enforce their policies, said Malkia Cyril, executive director of the Center for Media Justice, a nonprofit that opposes government use of social media for surveillance. Inside corporations, "is the will there, without constant activist pressure, to enforce these rules?" Cyril said. (Reuters)

Facebook bars developers from using data for surveillance