Facebook Nears Settlement With FTC

Facebook Inc. may have reached a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission over charges that the company used deceptive behavior when it changed its privacy settings. The investigation started in December 2009, when the company changed its privacy settings to a “simpler method of privacy control,” which resulted in certain aspects of profiles becoming public by default. Under the settlement, Facebook will have to get “express affirmative consent” from users if it makes “material retroactive changes.” The company would also have to submit to independent privacy audits for 20 years.