Facebook to help users take control of their personal information

Facebook said it is publishing its privacy principles for the first time and rolling out educational videos to help users control who has access to their information, as it prepares for the start of a tough new EU data protection law.

The videos will show users how to manage the data that Facebook uses to show them ads, how to delete old posts, and what happens to the data when they delete their account, Erin Egan, chief privacy officer at Facebook, said in a blog post.

Facebook, which has more than 2bn users, said it had never before published the principles, which are its rules on how the company handles users’ information.