14 DAY TRIAL // Facebook, like any other social network out there, is looking to increase its revenue stream and one important focus has been on third-party apps using its API and data. However, European privacy regulators have expressed concerns about how social networking sites share private user information with third-party companies and tighter rules concerning the practice are said to be in the works, according to The Financial Times.
The regulators believe that third-party developers should fall under the same European privacy laws, which are much stricter than in the US, even if they are based outside the Union.
While social networks operating in Europe have changed some of the practices to better adhere to the regulations, third parties using data from those social networks haven't been affected. Other groups also facing stricter regulation are social marketers that employ the platforms to push their products or services and even individual users who have a large following.
All of these concerns and guidelines have been expressed in a private opinion paper written by members of the Article 29 working party, a group made up of data and privacy protection agencies from all member states, which advises the European Commission on online privacy issues. The group has no legislative authority and its decisions are regarded as guidelines for national agencies.
Facebook has already taken steps to tighten some of its own rules under pressure from legislators and its users, and is welcoming a regulatory framework that would make it clearer for companies what steps need to be taken.
”The opinion issued by the Article 29 working group on social networking services is an important step in providing the industry with practical guidance for their operations in the EU. It will now need to be assessed in detail by all companies with services in this area,” said the company in a statement.