Justin Sullivan, Facebook's founder and chief executive, has promised to
improve the site's complex privacy controls, which have frustrated many users.
There have been growing complaints about Facebook, its privacy settings and disclosure of users' personal information to third parties. Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook's founder and chief executive, made a new pledge this week to add privacy controls that are simpler to use.
But for lots of critics Facebook's general opt-out approach isn't enough. Fifteen privacy groups have filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission seeking an investigation over possible deceptive trade practices. Senator Charles Schumer has urged the F.T.C. to provide guidelines for social networking sites, like Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter on how private information submitted by online users can be used and disseminated.
What can government do to ensure that users have control of their own information, which might live on indefinitely on the Web? Would regulation work? Or should government stay out of this arena?
