• by Gavin O'Malley  @mp_gavin, July 15, 2020

With the threat of regulation hanging over its head, Facebook is acknowledging the need for clearer privacy standards.

“We want to make sure everyone understands how their data is collected, used and shared,” Erin Egan, Facebook’s vice president, public policy-Chief Privacy Officer for Policy, notes in a new post.

To do so, the tech titan just released a new white paper in which it calls for greater collaboration between companies, policymakers and privacy experts.  

“If done well, we can empower everyone, regardless of literacy level or familiarity with technology, to make informed choices about how and when to share their data,” according to Egan.

While commending the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation and the California Consumer Privacy Act, Erin suggests existing privacy and data protection laws and regulations don’t go far enough.

“That’s why we’ve called for robust privacy laws that require companies to clearly explain data practices and choices,” she said.

Under the banner of TTC Labs -- an industrywide initiative founded by Facebook -- the company said it is designing new tools and services to better inform people about their data and privacy choices.

To date, Facebook has already put out tools like its Privacy Checkup and Privacy Basics, which were designed with this ultimate goal in mind.

Among other efforts, TTC Labs is developing interactive, educational web pages called “Lenses,” which explain privacy and data concepts in what Egan calls “an approachable and engaging way.”

Tech giants have recently come under increased scrutiny from lawmakers around the world.  

Stateside, the Justice Department continues to probe the business operations of Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google.

In April, a federal judge approved a $5 billion privacy settlement between Facebook and the Federal Trade Commission.

Lawmakers also recently took aim at Facebook-owned WhatsApp and other apps and digital services that allow end-to-end encryption.

In what they are calling the Lawful Access to Encrypted Data Act, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) and U.S. Senators Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee) said “warrant-proof” encryption features jeopardize national security.