Facebook has updated its privacy policy, as well as its terms and conditions, to make them easier for users to understand.
The company’s new data use policy improves on the legal jargon common in most companies’ privacy policies. It is organised by common questions such as “What kinds of information do we collect?” and “How can I manage or delete information about me?”
"People criticise companies like ours for complicated policies and terms. We've tried to address that," Richard Allan, director of policy at Facebook EMEA, said.
The new policy, which won’t be finalised for at least seven days while the company seeks feedback from users, is also accompanied by a new feature called “Privacy Basics”.
But as with previous moves by the company on privacy, there is an unstated business goal: to sell more advertising based on the vast quantities of personal data that the social network has on its 1.35 billion users.
Facebook said it tracks what users do on other websites and will use that information for advertising, too, unless users explicitly opt out of the extra tracking.
Facebook’s Ad Preferences tool will allow users to tell the company what topics they are interested in so that users get more ads on those topics. Ad preferences were first turned on in the United States in June, and the social network will roll the tool out to users in Ireland in 2015
Mr Allan said users can opt out of seeing certain ads on Facebook based on the apps and sites they use through the Digital Advertising Alliance. They can also opt out using controls on Ios and Android.
“If people are going to see ads, they want them as well targeted as possible. We have had feedback that says people want control over their ad experience,” he said.
“Within a social network there are some small pieces of information that you can’t realistically hide from everyone,” he added.
However, he said users in Ireland will not have facial recognition technology.
“There will be no facial recognition in Europe until we have an effective opt in policy that the Irish data protection commissioner approves of.”
A recent survey conducted by Surveymonkey for CNBC found Facebook is the most feared technology in terms of privacy.
Some 45 per cent of respondents said Facebook is the company that most concerns them in regards to collection of personal data. Google was second at 21 per cent.
Additional reporting: New York Times
