Privacy issues go public

Think Facebook is the only social network site with privacy problems? Think again, says a study commissioned by Canada's Privacy Commissioner of six popular social network sites including MySpace and Linked In.

The study found many of the sites have the same problems, ranging from not telling users enough about how their information is shared with advertisers and third parties to just how much of that information is shared.

Assistant Privacy Commissioner Elizabeth Denham said the study shows that users should be aware of how some social network sites are handling their information and their privacy.

"They should have some concerns. When it comes to transparency, security, access by third parties, users should understand that the risks are there on other sites and we encourage the other sites to look at our materials and assess their compliance."