Facebook has sparked concerns from privacy groups after a draft proposal changed its privacy policies in an attempt to supposedly make its methods more transparent.
The initial report, from CNN Money, pointed out that Facebook’s draft included semantic tweaks, like taking the word “privacy” out of Facebook’s “privacy policy,” and renaming it “data use policy.”
Many users have responded on Facebook’s comment page with a wholesale rejection of the new terms.
Most commenters appeared particularly disturbed about a line describing how apps can track the behaviour of the user’s friends.
While the current policy says that when one uses an application, the user’s content and information is shared with the application, the proposed revision amends that line to: “When you or others who can see your content and information use an application, your content and information is shared with the application.”
Facebook has not set a date for when its revised policy will take effect, saying it needs to sort through users’ comments and concerns before finalising the wording.
In response, Facebook spokesman Andrew Noyes told CNNMoney that Facebook’s current terms already allow apps to tap into all of the information that the app’s users have access to.
He added the policy revision is intended to make that reality clearer to Facebook’s users.
Noyes said those who want keep apps from sucking in their data can set granular controls on their “privacy settings” page on Facebook.
Some of Facebook’s other changes to the policy, which was last updated almost a year ago, accommodate its new features.
For example, the word “profile” is now often replaced with “Timeline,” Facebook’s latest update to its profile pages.
Also, the new statement reflects the features Facebook has shut down.
It said language referring to Facebook Deals has been deleted, since Facebook scratched the deal program in August.
Another new provision makes it clear that Facebook can, in its sole discretion, disable some of its features for users in certain geographical areas.
The change comes as Facebook and its social-networking peers grapple with heavy legal restrictions on their services in some countries.
