Have you ever considered how much private information you share on the world-wide Web through Facebook and how many strangers can access your photos, conversations, and personal information regardless of how tight you have set your privacy settings? Or what’s even scarier – do you know that Facebook developers have access to your private information even once you delete your account?

Privacy Commissioner Jennifer Stoddart is fighting for the privacy of Canadians on Facebook, claiming that the social-networking site is too open with users’ personal data. According to Metro News, Stoddart claims “Facebook breaches the law by keeping users’ personal information indefinitely – even after members close their accounts…the popular social networking site should hang on to the data only for as long as truly necessary.”

Yesterday Stoddart released a report revealing that Facebook breaks Canadian privacy laws in four areas, and she gave the site 30 days to improve its procedures.

The Privacy Commissioner stated that she wants “Facebook to remove the information in deactivated accounts after a reasonable length of time.” If the progress to fix the privacy shortfalls does not meet her satisfaction after 30 days, Stoddart said she can force compliance by taking the case to Federal Court.

Stoddart also raised her concern about the sharing of users’ personal information with nearly one million third-party developers around the world who create Facebook applications such as games and quizzes. With 250 million users across the globe and approximately 12 million in Canada, Facebook Inc. has vowed to work with Canada to improve its privacy settings.

Facebook agreed to share information about account deletion in its privacy policy, but refused to introduce a policy on retention of former accounts.

Chris Kelly, chief privacy officer for Facebook, stated “we’re going to continue the dialogue… [and] we have every confidence that we’ll come to an acceptable conclusion.”

Kelly also stated “any improvements made to respond to federal privacy commissioner Jennifer Stoddart’s concerns will apply to Facebook operations worldwide.”

My wake-up call with privacy on Facebook came in a class last year when my teacher informed me that potential employers are often “checking you out” on the site by simply asking the developers for access to your account. What’s more, they can access information you have “deleted” – be it embarrassing photos, unwanted wall posts, or secret messages you shared with others. The more I thought about this invasion of privacy, the more I came to realize that there is no privacy on the Internet. Facebook is like giving a total stranger control of your history and I have set limits with the information that I share on it. I encourage you to think about the information that you are sharing and decide if it’s something you would want others – especially potential employers – to know about you.

No matter how “private” Facebook gets, it ultimately intends to allow users to share their insights, rekindle their friendships, and develop new relationships on a virtual basis. However, Stoddart’s call for more transparency on Facebook’s policies will hopefully result in more awareness among Canadian and international users about the importance of protecting their “secret” information on the Internet.