Facebook is delaying a privacy policy update that would let the social network analyze your profile picture. In a statement sent to the Los Angeles Times, the company says that it's taking time "to ensure that user comments are reviewed and taken into consideration," while also claiming that its proposed changes are merely a clarification of its existing policies. However, it's hard not to notice that the decision to hold off on the policy revisions comes after six consumer privacy groups teamed up to ask the Federal Trade Commission to block the social network's move. In a letter published by The New York Times, the groups argue that the privacy revision would violate a 2011 settlement between the FTC and Facebook.
"Under the proposed policy, Facebook may create advertisements using an individual's 'name, and profile picture, content, and information'" for advertisements — which would run contrary to a settlement between the company and the agency, the letter says. The 20-year settlement the letter Familiar complaints for Facebook
references came about after the commission found that Facebook was breaking promises to users about what data it did and did not share with other users and third parties, such as advertisers. Facebook also recently agreed to pay $20 million to settle a class-action lawsuit in which privacy groups accused the company of violating user privacy with its Sponsored Stories advertising effort. Sponsored Stories published a users' profile photo and name alongside the Facebook pages of brands they had "liked."
The proposed privacy policy changes, which were announced last week, were originally set to go into effect today. Facebook says that it expects to finalize its updated policy in the next week. Among the proposed changes, the social network says it wants to analyze your profile photos to suggest "tags" of you in other images, and that it will "further explain" how it uses personal data for advertisements.