Terms and conditions now explain how the company uses personal data for its business model.
Background: The EU Consumer Protection Cooperation Regulation brings together national consumer authorities in a pan-European enforcement network. The Consumer Protection Cooperation Network assessed Facebook's terms of service; in February 2018, it required Facebook, as well as Twitter and Google+, to improve its contract terms.
The changes to T&Cs: The EC and consumer protection authorities required Facebook to clearly inform consumers how the social network gets financed and what revenues are derived from the use of consumer data. They also requested the platform to bring the rest of its terms of service in line with EU Consumer Law. Following exchanges with the authorities, Facebook will now explain in its T&Cs that it does not charge users for its services in return for users' agreement to share their data and to be exposed to advertisements. The company also changed its policy on limitation of liability; on its power to unilaterally change T&Cs; on the temporary retention of content deleted by users (now up to 90 days); and the right to appeal for users, when content has been removed.
Next steps: Facebook will implement its commitments by the end of June 2019. If the company fails to do so, national consumer authorities could impose sanctions.
