Meta is improving its privacy terms and conditions, and insists that no information sale will occur
Mark Zuckerberg's Meta company, formerly known as Facebook, has revised its terms of service and updated its privacy policy "to make it easier to understand and reflect the latest products we offer."
The revised Terms of Services stated that Meta "does not collect, use, or share your data in new ways based on this policy update and we still do not sell your information."
The update tweaked the language used and added examples to help people understand what each part is about, according to The Verge.
Meta won't collect data in 'new ways'
The Verge compared the old policy to the new policy and based on the comparison, the company's argument that it won't actually collect data in new ways.
Commenting on The Verge, John Davison, senior advisor to the Electronic Privacy Information Center, said the promise that this policy would not share data in new ways sounds good.
However, Davison said: “The problem is that Facebook is already funneling user data on an industrial scale into a broad targeted advertising ecosystem. So the status quo is not good for privacy.”
Over the past few years, Meta has taken action on making its policies simpler and easier to read more than once, and so far, this design may do the best job.
However, as much as it helps people think about and understand their pledges - the Meta Terms of Services may help the most.
For Davison, it is unrealistic to think that Facebook users will read dozens of pages about how the company handles data. However, Meta will try to make it look like the company is more concerned about privacy, according to a 9to5Mac report.
According to The Verge, including examples helps prevent all kinds of misunderstandings and misinterpretation of grammar.
The new policy applies to Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and other Meta products, but does not apply to WhatsApp, Workplace, Messenger Kids, or Quest devices used without a Facebook account (as these devices have their own privacy policies).
Another feature that Meta is rolling out is Facebook's new audience controls that change who can see what posts you make.
Controversies over Facebook's privacy
According to 9to5Mac, Facebook's business relies heavily on selling user data for advertising.
Even the company's engineers have no idea how to manage user data in a way that truly protects it, an internal document from Facebook's advertising team revealed earlier this year.
According to Facebook employees, the platform's database has "open borders".
Recently, the company discontinued some of Facebook's location-based features, including "Nearby Friends" and "Location History," both of which collect a user's location in the background.
However, the Facebook app collects location data for "other experiences".
Since the service's advent, Facebook's policies have changed frequently. This is amid a series of controversies covering everything from how well user data is secured, to how well users are allowed to control access, to the types of access granted to third parties, including companies, political campaigns and governments.
