Privacy watchdogs cry foul over Facebook policy changes

[Simon]

Two privacy advocacy groups have urged Facebook to withdraw proposed changes to its terms of service that would allow the company to share user data with Instagram, eliminate a user voting system and loosen email restrictions within the social network.

The changes, which Facebook unveiled last week, raise privacy risks for users and overide the company's previous commitments to its billion members, according to the Electronic Privacy Information Center and the Center for Digital Democracy.

"Facebook's proposed changes implicate the user privacy and terms of a recent settlement with the Federal Trade Commission," the groups said in a letter to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

By sharing information with Instagram, the letter said, Facebook could combine user profiles, ending its practice of keeping user information on the two services separate. Facebook declined to comment on the letter.

Read more: http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/378361/privacy-watchdogs-cry-foul-over-facebook-policy-changes

[Niall]

I'm not sure if there's a problem. They own both and as far as I can see they're just transferring information from their own property. However, if they are allowed to alter how data is shared and they are still classed as two completely separate companies, then they can't share it. Even then, users should be allowed to chose yes or no to this.

Personally I've no problem with Facebook and Instagram combining my info as I use both. However, if they want to share my info anywhere, they can do one.

[pctech]

I expect this is to clear the way for a server farm merge as why keep two sets of infrastructure running when FBs' has more than enough horsepower to host both services.