Facebook’s privacy team can breathe a small sigh of relief; the Privacy Commissioner of Canada is not going to trouble them further at this time. Commissioner Jennifer Stoddart has completed a review and determined that Facebook’s in many ways cleaned up its act since last year.
Stoddart’s investigation began in part due to the way developers of third-party applications could access users’ information. The account deletion procedure posed another problem. Today, though, she stated, "The issues related to the investigation . . . have been resolved to my satisfaction."
Stoddart, who never came close to turning the inquiry into a witch hunt, also said, "I would like to express my sincere appreciation to Facebook for the cooperation it has provided throughout our discussions. We recognize that some of the changes needed in order for Facebook to meet its legal obligations in Canada were complex and time-consuming to implement."
Just the same, Stoddart (along with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada) isn’t necessarily done with Facebook. She expressed concern about Facebook making certain types of user info available to everyone, and said she’s received complaints about the spread of Facebook’s "Like" button.
Another investigation might be in the offing, then.
We’ll be sure to report any official developments. Maybe Facebook’s just going to receive a gentle nudge this time.