In response to a call by four U.S. senators and others for greater oversight into the use of personal information by social networks like Facebook, the FTC announced Tuesday (according to the Washington Post) that it was going to examine these networks' collection and use of data and "develop a framework governing privacy going forward." This latest effort was triggered by Facebook's having recently paired with a number of outside companies to provide "Instant Personalization," with information from Facebook showing on those companies' sites and vice versa.
At this stage, it is unclear what form the FTC's examination and framework will take, or whether they will lead to formal regulation or even federal legislation mandating privacy practices. If you have any questions about this announcement or Internet privacy generally, please contact the attorneys of Olshan's privacy law practice.