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The author of this blog, David T.S. Fraser, is a Canadian privacy lawyer who practices with the firm of McInnes Cooper. He is the author of the Physicians' Privacy Manual. He has a national and international practice advising corporations and individuals on matters related to Canadian privacy laws.

For full contact information and a brief bio, please see David's profile.

Please note that I am only able to provide legal advice to clients. I am not able to provide free legal advice. Any unsolicited information sent to David Fraser cannot be considered to be solicitor-client privileged.

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The views expressed herein are solely the author's and should not be attributed to his employer or clients. Any postings on legal issues are provided as a public service, and do not constitute solicitation or provision of legal advice. The author makes no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained herein or linked to. Nothing herein should be used as a substitute for the advice of competent counsel.

This web site is presented for informational purposes only. These materials do not constitute legal advice and do not create a solicitor-client relationship between you and David T.S. Fraser. If you are seeking specific advice related to Canadian privacy law or PIPEDA, contact the author, David T.S. Fraser.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Facebook shuts down Beacon marketing tool

As part of a settlement of a large class-action lawsuit in California, Facebook has agreed to completely shut down its "Beacon" feature, which connects users' activites outside of Facebook to the users' profiles. See: Facebook shuts down Beacon marketing tool Sympatico.ca Sync.

Beacon was one of many high-profile privacy missteps taken by Facebook over its relatively short history. I've always thought that Facebook is a bit of a game-changer and has had to blaze its own trail through uncharted territory. While mistakes happen, it has been remarkable that Facebook has not been more open to its users by giving advance warning about significant changes and the simple use of "opt in" for features that are inherently intrusive.

This underscores the theory that privacy is, in large measure, about meeting users' expectations. If users are surprised by the use of their information, they get upset. If you tell users how you propose to use their information and give them control over that, they're generally fine with it. It's just that simple.

Labels: social networking