When Facebook changes its design, it inevitably leads to cries from its users, normally along the lines of “How dare you drastically change your product on us, especially when you’re changing it to something we don’t like!” What these users fail to realize is that, in this free service that they’re using, the site itself isn’t the product—they are. And this is why Facebook is growing more and more aggressive in its mining and storage of user data.

Facebook’s less-than-transparent privacy practices, specifically, failing to live up to representations made to consumers regarding those privacy practices, drew the attention of the Federal Trade Commission and recently led to a non-monetary settlement between Facebook and the FTC. To break down that settlement, we bring in Cynthia Larose, author on Privacy & Security Matters and attorney at Mintz Levin.

Photo of Colin O'Keefe Colin O'Keefe

As Publisher at LexBlog, Colin leads the Publishing team and guides LexBlog clients and community members on blogging digital publishing strategy. A professionally-trained journalist, he’s applied the trade by helping keep LexBlog at the forefront of blogging and digital media trends for more…

As Publisher at LexBlog, Colin leads the Publishing team and guides LexBlog clients and community members on blogging digital publishing strategy. A professionally-trained journalist, he’s applied the trade by helping keep LexBlog at the forefront of blogging and digital media trends for more than a decade—split up by a four-year stint helping lead the Seattle Mariners’ digital marketing efforts. He’s a fan of those M’s, the Green Bay Packers, Seattle craft beer, pinball, jogging and ebikes.