Calif. AG scores privacy win against Facebook that may be expanded

Published Jun 22, 2012 at 10:00 am (Updated Jun 22, 2012)

Facebook is signing on to an effort from California Attorney General Kamala Harris to make app makers more accountable for how they handle consumers' personal information, The Los Angeles Times reports. All apps in Facebook's new App Center are required to have a written privacy policy that sheds light on what information the app collects and shares, according to an agreement that Harris has reached with the giant social network. With the meteoric rise in the use of mobile devices, the state's top lawyer is looking to extend privacy protections that are commonplace on the Web to smartphones and tablets. With Facebook, Harris notched another win in her effort to get industry players to abide by voluntary guidelines. Even though the mandate currently extends only to apps that collect personal information from Californians, Harris' efforts are expected to have far-reaching consequences. "If we can strengthen privacy protections here, we can benefit consumers around the world," Harris says. "App users should know what personal information is collected, how it is used, and with whom it is shared. If they know all of that, then they will have the tools and the ability to protect themselves." Read the full story here.