Opinion: Facebook lobbies California on online privacy act (but shhh -- don’t tell anyone)

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Facebook has privacy issues. But it’s not what you think.

The leading online social-media site that’s prone to very public privacy snafus very quietly lobbied California lawmakers on the passage of a state Senate bill concerning online privacy, according to a state senator.

The Palo Alto company spent $6,600 in its efforts to fight passage of the Social Networking Privacy Act, according to filings with the California Secretary of State’s office. The bill, introduced by state Sen. Ellen Corbett (D-San Leandro) in February, would restrict social-networking sites from displaying the addresses and phone numbers of minors.

The bill passed the Senate 25-4, but floundered in the state Assembly.

Corbett told Marketwatch: “By the time it got to the Assembly, the opposition lobbying had begun. It appears they just worked in the background, to kill the bill.” Facebook did not comment on the Marketwatch story.

The average child gains a digital footprint at the age of 6 months, the Ticket recently reported, while 7% of babies have Facebook pages set up for them by parents guardians, according to a study.

Facebook’s guide to privacy is here. But we didn’t tell you that, right?

-- Craig Howie

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Image credit: Facebook