FTC says it is creating Internet privacy framework amid growing concerns

The Federal Trade Commission said Tuesday that it plans to create guidelines on Internet privacy, amid a growing cry by privacy advocates and lawmakers to protect consumers from abuse of their personal data by social networks, search engines and location tracking on cellphones.

The comments came after four senators called for greater enforcement and rules at the FTC on Tuesday, with troubling business features on social networking site Facebook that they said exposed users' information to the public and to third-party advertisers trying to create profiles on those users. "We agree that social networks provide a valuable consumer service, but that they also raise privacy concerns," said Cecelia Prewett, a spokeswoman for the FTC, who declined to comment specifically on the senators' complaints about Facebook. "The FTC is examining how social networks collect and share data as part of a project to develop a comprehensive framework governing privacy going forward. Our plan is to develop a framework that social networks and others will use to guide their data collection, use and sharing practices."