Today I was on CBC’s On the Coast discussing the changes that Facebook will be making to enhance the control users over their data and to enable more informed choices regarding privacy. Over the last year Facebook has worked with the Office of Privacy Commissioner of Canada to address a series of recommendations that would allow compliance with Canadian privacy laws.

According to Facebook:

“Our productive and constructive dialogue with the Commissioner’s office has given us an opportunity to improve our policies and practices in a way that will provide even greater transparency and control for Facebook users,” said Elliot Schrage, Vice-President of Global Communications and Public Policy at Facebook. “We believe that these changes are not only great for our users and address all of the Commissioners’ outstanding concerns, but they also set a new standard for the industry.”

Until these changes have been implemented I would recommend everyone read Facebook’s Statement of Rights and Responsibilities, their privacy policy, and think twice about whether it is necessary to add a third-party application to your profile.

Thanks to Rebecca Bollwitt aka Miss604 for directing CBC to me today.

Relevance: Education about how one’s data is used by Facebook or third-party applications should be combined with the ability to control access to one’s information as desired.

After being on CBC's On the Coast