GDPR spurs Facebook too publish “privacy principles” and education campaign
Facebook is doubling down on a privacy drive with the publication of “principles” ahead of the roll out of tough new laws in Europe.
The tech giant, which is currently under scrutiny over its reach and power, has for the first time explicitly outlined its stance on data privacy with seven key principles and the launch of an “educational campaign” to let users know how they can control their personal information on the platform.
It comes just four months before the implementation of the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and a week after Facebook’s operating chief Sheryl Sandberg said it was planning to roll out a new global privacy centre.
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Firms which do not follow the new laws risk fines of up to four per cent of global annual turnover or €20m (£17.6m), whichever is higher. Facebook is this week expected to report its full year earnings for 2017 of $40.25bn.
“Our efforts to build data protection into our products and give you more information and control reflect core principles we’ve had on privacy. Today we’re sharing these principles for the first time…” said chief privacy officer Erin Egan in a blog post.
A video explaining how users can review and delete old posts, delete accounts and how Facebook uses people’s information to advertise will appear in people’s news feeds from today.
The social media company said it will also make privacy settings easier to find and use and help organisations which use Facebook comply with the new rules.
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Facebook’s global chief privacy officer Stephen Deadman has said GDPR is the biggest cross-functional project in Facebook’s history.
Facebook’s seven privacy principles
We give you control of your privacy
You should be able to make the privacy choices that are right for you. We want to make sure you know where your privacy controls are and how to adjust them. For example, our audience selector tool lets you decide who you share with for every post. We develop controls based on feedback from around the world.
We help people understand how their data is used
While our Data Policy describes our practices in detail, we go beyond this to give you even more information. For example, we include education and tools in people’s day-to-day use of Facebook – like ad controls in the top right corner of every ad.
We design privacy into our products from the outset
We design privacy into Facebook products with guidance from experts in areas like data protection and privacy law, security, interface design, engineering, product management, and public policy. Our privacy team works to build these diverse perspectives into every stage of product development.
We work hard to keep your information secure
We work around the clock to help protect people’s accounts, and we build security into every Facebook product. Our security systems run millions of times per second to help catch threats automatically and remove them before they ever reach you. You can also use our security tools like two-factor authentication to help keep your account even more secure.
You own and can delete your information
You own the information you share on Facebook. This means you decide what you share and who you share it with on Facebook, and you can change your mind. That’s why we give you tools for deleting anything you’ve posted. We remove it from your timeline and from our servers. You can also delete your account whenever you want.
Improvement is constant
We’re constantly working to develop new controls and design them in ways that explain things to people clearly. We invest in research and work with experts beyond Facebook including designers, developers, privacy professionals and regulators.
We are accountable
In addition to comprehensive privacy reviews, we put products through rigorous data security testing. We also meet with regulators, legislators and privacy experts around the world to get input on our data practices and policies.