Belgium's Privacy Protection Commission says that Facebook tramples on European privacy laws by tracking people online without their consent and dodges questions from national regulators. They have issued a set of recommendations for both Facebook, website owners and end users. Net-Security reports: "The recommendations are based on the results of an extensive analysis (67 page PDF) of Facebook's revised policies and terms which were rolled out on January 30, 2015. The analysis were conducted by the inter-university research center EMSOC/SPION, which concluded that the company is acting in violation of European law because Facebook places too much burden on its users to protect their privacy, and then doesn't offer simple tools and settings to do so, and sets up some problematic default settings. They also don't provide adequate information for users to make informed choices.
I'll assume that once TPP is in effect. Facebook will sue the Belgium government.
[2nd Editor's comment: Belgium shouldn't be affected by any trans-pacific agreements - unless Belgium has significantly changed its borders while no-one was looking. Perhaps kaszz meant the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 20 2015, @12:56PM
No, he is just applying the same argument style so many people here use: define all topics as black/white, decide which side I like and is thus the good and ethical side, and cast every argument in these absolute terms. Facts are not relevant, and in fact are troublesome things to be ignored. However, props to him for not somehow working an NSA angle in there. That must have took some restraint.
(Score: 2) by aristarchus on Wednesday May 20 2015, @10:34PM
argument style so many people here use: define all topics as black/white, decide which side I like and is thus the good and ethical side, and cast every argument in these absolute terms.
Hmm, so how long have you been on the Dark Side? Love the outfit. Could you try to breathe a little more quietly?
(Wasn't Dr. Evil raised by Belgians? Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad, that was Belgians. It is becoming clear why this particular AC, out of all the gin joints in the world, had to walk into ours. Play it again, Sam!)
(Score: 1) by dingus on Wednesday May 20 2015, @11:41PM
Well if you're just going to sit there and complain you're doing far less for the advancement of the discussion than OP.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 20 2015, @01:02PM
Ah, and of course the Hoegaarden wheet beer.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 20 2015, @01:22PM
And waffles. Don't forget waffles.
(Score: 2) by MichaelDavidCrawford on Wednesday May 20 2015, @01:29PM
"They're BELGIAN!" -- Philippe Bossut, my manager at Live Picture.
Yes I Have No Bananas. [gofundme.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 20 2015, @05:21PM
If Hoegaarden is the beer you remember from Belgium then, as a Belgian, I feel sorry for you.
(Score: 2) by rts008 on Wednesday May 20 2015, @05:39PM
As US citizen who has traveled there(and most of Europe), I concur.
From the perspective of a beer drinker, Belgium is a heavenly country to tour. (there are many attractions other than just the beer!)
(Score: 2) by aristarchus on Wednesday May 20 2015, @11:33PM
Facebook tracking of a non-existent country? http://zapatopi.net/belgium/ [zapatopi.net] Belgium does not exist. Sounds like the thinking of a Web2.0 to me!