Facebook to revamp privacy policy again

Facebook hopes to better describe its policies on collecting personal information

Facebook has announced plans to update the social networking site's privacy policies yet again.

The new policies will be integrated over the next 12 months, and will aim to give users a clearer understanding of their privacy settings and better control over the information that can be shared with third-party software vendors.

The move follows a recommendation from Canada's Privacy Commissioner's Office, which spent nearly a year reviewing Facebook's privacy controls.

Among the new measures will be an overhaul of the Privacy Policy statement itself in an effort to better describe Facebook's policies on collecting personal information, as well as clearer descriptions for the process of deactivating and deleting user accounts.

The company is also planning to give users greater control over the information that can be collected and used by third-party developers. The new system will require third-party applications to expressly identify the information that will be collected, and require user permission before any information is gathered.

"We strongly believe that the changes to the permission model for third-party applications will give users more confidence, and will help ensure the long-term health and vitality of the ecosystem that has grown around [Facebook]," said Ethan Beard, director of platform product marketing at the firm.

"We will be communicating regularly with developers about the changes, and we are going to take our time to make sure the outcome is something users understand and that developers have ample time and notice to adapt."

The new policies come on the heels of a lawsuit filed in California by several users over the site's policies on collecting and sharing personal information.