UPDATE: Facebook backs down.
Obviously Facebook isn't able to self regulate either, so now they're going to have the pleasure of working with the federal government on developing a clear policy.
The backlash against Facebook's updated privacy policies is about to expand. The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) is preparing to file a formal complaint with the Federal Trade Commission over the social network's updated licenses, PC World has learned.
"We think that Facebook should go back to its original terms of service," says EPIC Executive Director Marc Rotenberg.
EPIC expects to have its complaint submitted to the FTC by the end of Tuesday.
The wave of reaction, of course, is hardly limited to official organizations. More than 38,000 Facebook users have joined a user group protesting the change, and countless blogs and news sites have written extensively about their concerns. The issue comes down to a couple of alterations within the company's terms of use that, it would seem, give Facebook eternal ownership of your personal content--even if you decide to delete your account.
The changes were actually made in early February but not widely noticed until Sunday, when The Consumerist's Chris Walters stumbled upon the subtly shifted language. The section in question explains how Facebook has an "irrevocable, perpetual" license to use your "name, likeness, and image" in essentially any way, including within promotions or external advertising.
