U.S., Facebook Reach Deal Over Deceptive Behavior Allegations

Facebook Inc. has reached a settlement with federal trade regulators over charges it engaged in deceptive behavior when changing its privacy settings, the Federal Trade Commission (

) said Tuesday. The settlement bars the social networking site from making any "further deceptive privacy claims" and requires the company to "get consumers' approval before it changes the way it shares their data," the FTC said. The deal also requires Facebook to provide its users "clear and prominent notice" before their information is "shared beyond the privacy settings they have established." In addition, Facebook is required to obtain periodic audits of its privacy policies for the next 20 years.

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