Facebook owner Meta Platforms has detailed an update of its privacy policy to make the rules for using its platforms easier to understand and insisted it is not collecting any new data from social media users.
Michel Protti, chief privacy officer for product at Meta Platforms, wrote in a blog the updates don’t allow the company “to collect, use or share your data in new ways”.
The updated privacy policy, formerly known as the data policy, will take effect from 26 July in conjunction with changes to Meta Platform’s terms of service for some of its products. The updates cover Facebook, Messenger and Instagram but not WhatsApp.
Protti claimed Meta Platforms was “inspired by feedback from people who use our technologies and privacy experts” to rewrite the policy.
The privacy policy provides more examples of what information is collected and how it is used, shared, retained and transferred.
This includes how information is shared with third parties. Users will also gain new controls to manage who can view their content and activity.
Meta Platforms previously faced criticism over its collecting and handling of personal data.
In a particularly high-profile case in 2019, the US Federal Trade Commission fined Facebook $5 billion for privacy infringements relating to the Cambridge Analytica data breach.
