State AGs Demand Answers About Facebook User Privacy Policies and Practices

Washington, D.C. — The National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) sent a letter today to Facebook Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg asking him to answer a series of questions about Facebook’s user privacy policies and practices following reports that at least 50 million Facebook personal profiles may have been misused.

Reports allege that Facebook gave away the personal data of users who never authorized third-party software developers to obtain it, and relied on terms of service and settings that were confusing and perhaps misleading to its users.

“These revelations raise many serious questions concerning Facebook’s policies and practices, and the processes in place to ensure they are followed,” reads the NAAG letter signed by 41 state and territory attorneys general.

The attorneys general also requested an update about how Facebook will allow users to more easily control the privacy of their accounts.

“…we need to know that users can trust Facebook. With the information we have now, our trust has been broken,” the letter continues.

State attorneys general are responsible for enforcing consumer protection statutes. This includes protecting their state residents from the loss of personal information through data-harvesting and data breaches.

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