Social-Networking Sites Face New Privacy Battle

SFGate: A new proposal at the California state Capitol would force Facebook and other social networking sites to change the way they handle privacy. If the proposal were to pass, it would require social networks to make user information private by default and to allow users to establish their privacy settings during the registration process instead of after they join the network.

A trade group that includes Facebook, Google, eHarmony, Match.com and others is opposing the bill. Some say the bill may be unconstitutional, and a Facebook spokesperson said, "This legislation is a serious threat both to Facebook's business in California and to meaningful California consumers' choices about use of personal data."