FTC approves Facebook privacy settlement

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WASHINGTON, Aug. 10 (UPI) -- Facebook must get consumers' consent before sharing their information beyond established privacy settings, the U.S. trade watchdog says.

The Federal Trade Commission Thursday accepted the consent requirement as part of the final settlement with Facebook to resolve charges the online social network giant deceived users by telling them they could keep their Facebook information private while repeatedly allowing the information to be shared and made public.

The settlement requires Facebook to take steps to make sure it lives up to its privacy promises in the future, including giving consumers clear and prominent notice and obtaining their express consent before sharing their information beyond their privacy settings, the FTC said in a release. Facebook also must maintain comprehensive privacy program to protect consumers' information, and have biennial privacy audits conducted by an independent third party.

The commission approved the final order on a 3-1-1 vote.