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FTC approves final settlement with Facebook over privacy issues

Facebook website pages opened in an internet browser are seen in this photo illustration taken in Lavigny.
Facebook website pages opened in an internet browser are seen in this photo illustration taken in Lavigny.© Valentin Flauraud / Reuters / Reuters
Facebook website pages opened in an internet browser are seen in this photo illustration taken in Lavigny.
Facebook website pages opened in an internet browser are seen in this photo illustration taken in Lavigny.© Valentin Flauraud / Reuters

WASHINGTON -- The Federal Trade Commission on Friday gave the final approval to a settlement of federal charges reached last year over Facebook Inc deceiving consumers and forcing them to share more personal information than they had intended.

The settlement requires Facebook to get user consent for some changes to privacy settings and subjects the social networking site to 20 years of independent audits.

That settlement was reached last November but was subject to a public comment period and final vote by the FTC.

(Reporting By Jasmin Melvin; Editing by Gerald E. McCormick)

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