The CNIL considered necessary Tuesday, September 25, 2012 of "further investigation" to determine whether private messages have "actually been made public" on Facebook, after a hearing of the French management group on a possible malfunction of the confidentiality. For 24 hours, French subscribers of the platform flooding the social web accounts where they say private messages dating from before 2009 appear erroneously on their public profile.
Facebook denies his side of any "violation of privacy" and asserts that the publications referred to are "really old posts on the walls, which were always visible on the user profiles."
"At this stage of the discussion, it is clear that further investigations should be conducted to determine whether private messages have actually been made public," said in a statement the National Commission on Informatics and Liberties (CNIL), the authority to ensure the protection of personal data in the computer field.
"There are still uncertainties about what happened, all these systems are extremely complex. But it seems that it only affects users of French, "added the president of the CNIL, Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin, micro BFM. According to the CNIL, which has been for several hours leaders of France Facebook, "it also appears that the generalization of the new Timeline feature, making it more easily accessible messages older, participated in the confusion of users, which are more more aware of the need to protect their privacy online. "
"This illustrates the observation that there is a lack of understanding among users about how it works. Just an incident that mobilizes collective, there is a latent fear based on a lack of transparency on the conditions of these offers, "according to the President of the CNIL.
She recalled that the purpose of the hearing was "to clarify the conditions and scope of the on-line" and states that "contacts with representatives of Facebook abroad have also been undertaken." The commission "recalls that drew on many occasions, the attention of social networks, the importance of greater transparency. The recent audit of Facebook led by Irish data protection authority on behalf of the G29 (Group of European CNIL) is also in this direction. "
The government was seized of the matter Tuesday morning, calling on the leadership of France Facebook accountable to the CNIL, but also to bring the French "explanations clear and transparent, without delay."
Facebook denies his side of any "violation of privacy" and asserts that the publications referred to are "really old posts on the walls, which were always visible on the user profiles."
"There are still uncertainties about what happened, all these systems are extremely complex. But it seems that it only affects users of French, "added the president of the CNIL, Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin, micro BFM. According to the CNIL, which has been for several hours leaders of France Facebook, "it also appears that the generalization of the new Timeline feature, making it more easily accessible messages older, participated in the confusion of users, which are more more aware of the need to protect their privacy online. "
"This illustrates the observation that there is a lack of understanding among users about how it works. Just an incident that mobilizes collective, there is a latent fear based on a lack of transparency on the conditions of these offers, "according to the President of the CNIL.
She recalled that the purpose of the hearing was "to clarify the conditions and scope of the on-line" and states that "contacts with representatives of Facebook abroad have also been undertaken." The commission "recalls that drew on many occasions, the attention of social networks, the importance of greater transparency. The recent audit of Facebook led by Irish data protection authority on behalf of the G29 (Group of European CNIL) is also in this direction. "
The government was seized of the matter Tuesday morning, calling on the leadership of France Facebook accountable to the CNIL, but also to bring the French "explanations clear and transparent, without delay."
