Facebook rolls out GDPR privacy checkups worldwide

It's the final countdown. The deadline for compliance with Europe's new privacy laws, the GDPR, is Friday, May 25. That means that companies across the internet are asking, in plain and recognizable language, all of their customers to review usually-skipped over privacy settings — including Facebook. Hallelujah.

On Thursday, CNBC reported that Facebook will start rolling out GDPR-compliant privacy check-ups to users across the world. They specifically ask users to review what kind of data they consent to for ad targeting, the personal information (such as religious affiliation) that they share, and whether they'll allow facial recognition.

Also, there are some fun illustrations.

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The move to roll out more transparent privacy settings worldwide, and not just in Europe, falls in line with many other companies, including Microsoft and others. Mark Zuckerberg said in his hearing with European Parliament that Facebook was planning to make GDPR standards available for everyone.

But Zuckerberg did not address Members of Parliament's questions about why Facebook was limiting the scope of GDPR for non-EU citizens. In April, reports surfaced that Facebook was changing the location of user agreements for people outside of the US and Canada, from Ireland — which meant that they would fall under GDPR protection and liability — to elsewhere.

Still, even if Facebook isn't legally liable for GDPR compliance worldwide, the change to make the settings available for everyone is a welcome one. Let online freedom ring.