Dutch regulator asks Facebook to hold off on privacy update, is rebuffed

Saying that Facebook’s new privacy policy could violate Dutch data protection laws, the privacy regulator in the Netherlands has asked it to postpone its introduction pending an investigation. But the social network won’t hold back the rollout of new terms and policies on Jan. 1, and was “surprised and disappointed” by the data protection authority’s move, a spokeswoman said.

“We recently updated our terms and policies to make them more clear and concise, to reflect new product features and to highlight how we’re expanding people’s control over advertising,” she said, adding that Facebook is confident the updates comply with relevant laws.

As a company with its international headquarters in Dublin, Facebook routinely reviews product and policy updates—including this one—with the Irish Data Protection Commissioner, which oversees Facebook’s compliance with the EU Data Protection Directive as implemented under Irish law, she added.

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