Canada’s Privacy Commissioner Releases Findings Regarding Facebook’s "Suggested Friends" Feature

Canada's Office of the Privacy Commissioner (the Commissioner) has released its findings after investigating complaints against Facebook relating to its "Suggested Friends" feature (Feature). The three complainants were non-users of Facebook, who each received an email from Facebook with an invitation to join. The email was sent on behalf of a Facebook user they knew. The invitation included a list of "suggested friends." Given the accuracy of the "suggested friends" list, the complainants alleged Facebook improperly accessed their (or their friends') private information, and appeared to be maintaining personal profiles of non-users without their knowledge and consent.

It was found that Facebook does not, and cannot, access the address books of non-Facebook users through its Feature. There was also no evidence that Facebook tracked or stored the personal information of non-users, or shared information of non-users with third parties. Nevertheless, the Commissioner