Data Protection and Facebook: An Empirical Analysis of the Role of Consent in Social Networks (18)

Consenting or not consenting - when reading the privacy policy of a social network service, one might wonder why he or she is asked to accept the privacy policy. Does one have a choice? This survey analyzes the status quo of current practices and policies of service providers to obtain consent in Europe. It reveals the main purposes for which they collect, use, and disclose users' personal data. The often-cited "informed user" needs information about what she or he is consenting to. Is the privacy policy easily readable and accessible? How long is the average European data use policy? These and other questions were answered in this survey by analyzing 140 user generated content websites (e.g. Facebook). ( Reports on Information, Telecommunication and Media Law - Vol. 18)