Facebook regulators assessing claims of it sharing user data without permission

Facebook’s lead regulator in the European Union on Wednesday said it was assessing a report in the New York Times that the social network allowed some tech companies far greater access to data than it had disclosed.“We are aware of the media reports and we are currently assessing what next steps, if any, are required,” said a spokesman for Ireland’s Data Protection Commissioner, which is Facebook’s lead European regulator because the firm’s European headquarters are in Dublin.[caption id="attachment_5742431" align="alignnone" width="1280"] FILE PHOTO: A 3D printed Facebook logo is seen in front of displayed cyber code in this illustration taken March 22, 2016. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo[/caption]Facebook said it did not give companies access to personal data of users without their permission.And amid concerns about its ability to safeguard user data sparked a government lawsuit, the social network's shared sank 7.25 percent, its biggest intraday drop since July, taking losses for the year to about 24 percent. Investors are concerned about snowballing legal and regulatory efforts over data use policies that have upset many customers and could carry significant penalties and costs.Washington, DC, Attorney General Karl Racine said the US capital city was sueing Facebook, accusing it of misleading users because it had known about the incident for two years before disclosing it.It further alleges Facebook misled users by allowing several app makers it called partners “to override Facebook consumers’ privacy settings and access their information without their knowledge or consent.”2018 has been an eventful year and here's our comprehensive list of year ender stories.