Summary:
In 2012, Facebook was caught in an alleged violation of users' privacy for 'tracking' its users' even when they were logged out of the site.
Allegations:
- Australian technologist Nik Cubrilovic discovered that when a user logged out of Facebook, the cookies from that login were still kept in the browser, allowing Facebook to track users on websites that include "social widgets" distributed by the social network.
- A US law firm Stewarts Law charged a single, class-action suit, charging Facebook with violating users privacy by allegedly tracking their web usage.
- A court order in December 2015 cited Facebook's violations of the European Union Directive on Privacy and Electronic Communications—which requires users to consent to tracking and storage of data by websites.
Defence:
- Facebook denied Cubrilovic's claims, saying they had "no interest" in tracking users or their activities. The company also promised that after the discovery of the cookies that they would remove them and they would longer be on the site.
- Facebook limited access to its website rather than remove a tracking cookies which the company says is for security purposes. Facebook no longer allows users in Belgium to view any content on the service, even public pages, without being registered and logged in.