Facebook has updated to its privacy policy in a move that reaffirms its ability to post personal information, such as photos, about its 1.2 billion users.

Like it or lump it

Facebook announced its new privacy policy in a blog post last week.

Under the changes, minors who join Facebook automatically give consent for their information to be used for advertising purposes.

Facebook originally included a line stating that minors would need their parent’s or guardian’s consent before their image appeared in ads.

Privacy pain and gain

This isn’t the first time Facebook has waded into murky privacy waters. In August Facebook faced a US $20 million settlement over a class action lawsuit that argued “Sponsored Stories” shared users’ Likes without offering payment or a way to opt out.

As part of the settlement, Facebook agreed to make its privacy policy more transparent. This includes giving parents of underage Facebook users the option to control how their children’s information is distributed on the platform.

This opt out feature appears to be missing from Facebook’s latest update.

“The innovative controls we agreed to in connection with the settlement take time to build,” Jodi Seth, a Facebook spokeswoman told The New York Times.

At the time of writing Facebook has produced no timelines for introducing these measures.

Teen trouble

Facebook has a problem when it comes to teens, who are leaving Facebook for rival platforms like YouTube and Snapchat.

In October Facebook rolled out an update that allowed teens to publicly post images and photos on the platform, but by failing to clearly address its stance on the use of images, Facebook might be hurting its chances with this emerging market.

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