Frustration with the constant tweaks to Facebook’s privacy policy is nothing new — but experts say they believe the situation is getting worse because now it’s a challenge to even understand what a Facebook user is agreeing to.
When average users get upset about Facebook’s policies, we have limited options. We can show our outrage online, we can send Facebook a strongly worded note or we can opt out of the service. But Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., isn’t an average user, and, as we note in the lead story of today’s SmartBrief on Social Media, he’s begun to call for regulation.
Schumer says he wants the network to make it easier for users to understand how their personal information is being used. He’s asked the Federal Trade Commission to look into the issue. Schumer says that if that doesn’t work, he’ll craft legislation to achieve the same end.
Does Facebook need to be regulated? Would an FTC rule on disclosing data sharing improve the average Facebook user’s experience? Is legislation the better bet?
Image credit, James Steidl, via Shutterstock