Rascal Flatts - yours if you want (operatic version)
Facebook data Dominance European Antitrust Risks Clampdown.
German Cartel Office opened an investigation into the terms of social networks.
Regulator considers whether the company has abused its market power.
Facebook Inc. Control over private data of millions of users surveyed by the German antitrust agency, foreshadowing a possible new wave of competition investigations across Europe on how the largest social network uses its treasure customer information in the world.
German Federal Cartel said he's considering whether Facebook has abused its dominant position as possible on the market by forcing customers to agree to the conditions for the use of their data The authority said that it is in close contact with regulators, including the European Commission and the competition authorities of the other EU nations on the issue.
Using Facebook illegal conditions could represent an improper imposition of abusive conditions on users, the German agency said For ad-supported Internet services such as Facebook, information about users is extremely important, said Andreas Mundt, president of the regulator.
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German probe adds to a growing list of antitrust threats to Internet giants in the United States in the EU - Google Inc Inc far, Menlo Park, California, Facebook has mainly competed with dogs guard of privacy in the block in a clash over policy revised for the treatment of personal photos and data branches in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain and Hamburg, Germany, opened separate investigations .
The social network is sure that we respect the law and we look forward to working with the German Federal Office of agreements to answer questions, according to a statement sent by e-mail from Facebook.
Mundt said the regulator will consider whether users are properly informed about how their data is collected and used.
He said Facebook can be labeled as a dominant player in the social networking market, making the company obliged to obey stricter rules governing his behavior Facebook collects large amounts of personal data from various sources, according the statement.
To access the social network, users must first agree to the company's collection and use of their data by accepting the terms of service, the regulator said it is difficult for users understand and evaluate the scope of the agreement accepted by them.
The regulator is questioning this procedure is legal under the law, protection of German data and find an abuse within the meaning of antitrust law if there is a link between this offense and a dominant market position , office.
The European Commission said it will keep in touch with the German agency on the case, which concerns a new issue.
It can not be excluded that conduct which violates data protection rules might also be appropriate when investigating a possible violation of EU competition rules, said the spokesman Ricardo Cardoso commission.
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