Social media giant Facebook Inc (FB, quote) has been caught up in a great deal of controversy in Europe over the past year, as users complain that the firm's privacy policies don't align with those that govern each EU country.

The company has faced accusations that its policies are not sufficient in Spain, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and now France, all of which threaten to significantly change how the site operates.

Tracking Web Habits

The latest accusations come from France in the form of an order from France's Commission Nationale de l'Informatique et des Libertés (CNIL), which demands that the firm rework its data collection tactics or pay a series of fines that could total as much as $168,000, according to the Wall Street Journal.

One of the CNIL's main complaints is the fact that users who don't have Facebook accounts can still have their online movements tracked by the firm through "like" buttons that are positioned on pages around the web. The order demands Facebook to notify people that their movements could still be tracked regardless of their reluctance to set up an account.

Data Storing

Facebook is also dealing with concerns about data laws in the United States alongside many of its U.S.-based peers, as European regulators have started to tighten the kind of information that can be stored in the country. NSA Contractor Edward Snowden's revelations that the U.S. government was conducting a large-scale surveillance program without the public's knowledge has caused many Europeans to worry about their personal data being stored in the United States. The CNIL says that Facebook may not send user data to be stored in the United States any longer, something that could have a major impact on how the firm is run.
Content courtesy of Benzinga written by Laura Brodbeck, Benzinga Staff Writer