Facebook slammed by privacy watchdog for tracking personal data

A privacy watchdog has slammed Facebook for allegedly treating users' personal data with contempt and nonchalantly flouting privacy laws in Europe.

"Facebook tramples on European and Belgian privacy laws," the Belgian Privacy Commission declared after issuing a report examining Facebook's latest updated practices on users' photos and data.

According to commission president, Willem Debeuckeleaere, the company's"contemptuous" treatment of the private lives of all internet users "demands action." He added, "It's make or break time" for Facebook.

Debeuckelaere came down heavily on the company for its failure to co-operate fully in the investigation. "Facebook has shown itself particularly miserly in giving precise answers," the watchdog said, adding that the results of the study by a group of researchers were "disconcerting", according to Reuters.

The report concluded that the social network processed, the personal data of its members as also other internet users "in secret", and did not ask for consent or adequately explain how the data would be used.

The study cited concerns over how Facebook tracked customer behaviour through customers' use of "like" and "share" buttons, comments and other tools on the Facebook page. The strategy was termed "Intrusive" by the commission.

Facebook is "in a unique position, since it can easily link its users' surfing behaviour to their real identity, social network interactions and sensitive data such as medical information and religious, sexual and political preferences," the report said.

Internet users had also been urged to install privacy software to stop Facebook tracking them, regardless of whether they had accounts with it.

According to the social network, it complied with data protection law and questioned the Belgian watchdog's authority.

The commission said, Facebook had refused to recognise Belgian and other EU national jurisdictions, insisting it was subject only to the law in Ireland, the site of its European headquarters.

The body, which worked in association with German, Dutch, French and Spanish counterparts, said that Facebook would not explain in detail how it used the data it collected.

A Facebook spokeswoman said, "We work hard to make sure people have control over what they share and with whom.

"Facebook is already regulated in Europe and complies with European data protection law, so the applicability of the [commission's] efforts is unclear," she said.

This is the second instance of the social network's use of data being questioned by the Belgian Privacy Commission. It said in February, it placed ''too much burden'' on users to navigate its complex settings.