Facebook Messenger: Eroding User Privacy in Order to Collect, Analyze, and Sell Your Personal Information, 31 J. Marshall J. Info. Tech. & Privacy L. 393 (2014)

Authors

Erica Jaeger

Abstract

This comment will examine Facebook‘s new standalone Facebook Messenger app, and review how the Privacy Policy, Data Use Policy, and the list of permissions violate Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act. The comment will focus on Facebook Messenger‘s deceptive methods of accessing users‘ personal information and how Facebook uses that personal information. Section II will explain social networking sites and the configuration of Facebook, Facebook Messenger, and Facebook‘ s evolving policies. Section II will also discuss the Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Trade Commission Act that was created to protect consumers against unfair, deceptive, or fraudulent practices.15 Section III will identify Facebook‘s prior commitments and obligations it had to users and demonstrate how the site failed to protect users in the past. The comment will then address latent issues that arise out of Facebook Messenger‘s list of permissions, policies, and how it violates Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act. Finally, this Comment will present a consumer-based proposal outlining the necessary changes to avoid violating Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act. The proposal will address privacy and data use concerns while continuing to uphold the Federal Trade Commission Act in Facebook‘s day-to-day activity.

Recommended Citation

Erica Jaeger, Facebook Messenger: Eroding User Privacy in Order to Collect, Analyze, and Sell Your Personal Information, 31 J. Marshall J. Info. Tech. & Privacy L. 393 (2014)