Facebook questioned over data protection
The social networking website Facebook is to be questioned by the information watchdog about how it handles people’s personal data.
The move by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) comes after a user of the popular site complained he could not fully delete his profile after he had closed his account.
Currently, users who wish to remove their Facebook profiles are given the option to deactivate their account.
Once deactivated, the information becomes inaccessible but remains on Facebook’s computer database.
Those who wish to wipe out all information are advised to “log in and delete all profile content”, which involves manually removing everything from messages to pictures.
Facebook will then remove all the information from its server but only if a user has contacted the site and told it to do so.
Dave Evans, the senior data protection practice manager at the ICO, said he was worried about how difficult it was for Facebook users to take off personal information from the site.
“One of the things that we’re concerned about is that if the onus is entirely on the individual to delete their own data,” he told BBC Radio 4.
An individual who has deactivated their account might not find themselves motivated enough to delete information that’s about them, maybe on their wall or other people’s site.”
The ICO’s intervention comes only months after it warned millions of young Facebook users that they could jeopardise their careers by posting compromising personal details on social networking sites.
It cautioned against posting details of alcohol-fuelled nights out or sexual exploits because education institutions and employers were using them increasingly to vet potential students or employees.
Facebook insisted that its data protection policies were “in full compliance with UK date protection law”.
“We take the concerns of the Information Commissioner’s Office and our user’s privacy very seriously and are committed to working with the ICO to maintain a trusted environment for all Facebook users and ensure compliance with the UK law,” a spokesman said.
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