Things are still playing out stateside, but Europe has taken an early lead in the battle to protect consumer privacy online. European regulators have issued new guidelines for sites like Facebook and MySpace that require websites to comply with regional privacy laws, The Wall Street Journal reports.
Here's the range of privacy guidelines that sites must now adhere to across the pond:
- Sites should offer privacy-friendly default settings
- Users should be told that pictures should only be uploaded with the individual's consent
- Sites must set maximum periods to retain data on inactive users and abandoned accounts must be deleted
- Finally, users should also be allowed to adopt a pseudonym.
