Facebook is to be quizzed about its data protection policies by the Information Commissioner's Office.
The investigation follows a complaint by a user of the social network who was unable to fully delete their profile even after terminating their account.
Currently, personal information remains on Facebook's servers even after a user deactivates an account.
Facebook has said it believes its policy is in "full compliance with UK data protection law".
"We take the concerns of the ICO [Information Commissioner's Office] and our user's privacy very seriously and are committed to working with the ICO to maintain a trusted environment for all Facebook users and ensure compliance with UK law," said a statement from the site.
"We take the concerns of the ICO [Information Commissioner's Office] and our user's privacy very seriously and are committed to working with the ICO to maintain a trusted environment for all Facebook users and ensure compliance with UK law," said a statement from the site.
Protecting principle 
At present, Facebook users who wish to remove their profile from the site are given the opportunity to deactivate their account.
But once deactivated the information, though no longer accessible, remains on Facebook's computers.
This is useful if you might reactivate your account later, but not the same as full deletion.
Users who wish to completely delete their information must, according to the automated response from Facebook's Customer Service, ¿log in and delete all profile content".
For some users that can be a very laborious process and that concerns the ICO.
"One of the things that we're concerned about is that if the onus is entirely on the individual to delete their data," Dave Evans, Senior Data Protection Practice Manager at the ICO told BBC Radio 4's iPM programme.
"An individual who has deactivated their account might not find themselves motivated enough to delete information that's about them maybe on their wall or other people's site."
The over-riding data protection principle motivating the ICO is that organisations should only hold information as long as necessary.
Facebook maintains it is in compliance with all data protection legislation and says it does not use information from deactivated accounts.
But once deactivated the information, though no longer accessible, remains on Facebook's computers.
This is useful if you might reactivate your account later, but not the same as full deletion.
Users who wish to completely delete their information must, according to the automated response from Facebook's Customer Service, ¿log in and delete all profile content".
For some users that can be a very laborious process and that concerns the ICO.
"One of the things that we're concerned about is that if the onus is entirely on the individual to delete their data," Dave Evans, Senior Data Protection Practice Manager at the ICO told BBC Radio 4's iPM programme.
"An individual who has deactivated their account might not find themselves motivated enough to delete information that's about them maybe on their wall or other people's site."
The over-riding data protection principle motivating the ICO is that organisations should only hold information as long as necessary.
Facebook maintains it is in compliance with all data protection legislation and says it does not use information from deactivated accounts.
Network problem
Mr Evans said that he believed that Facebook were committed to being seen to do as much as possible to safeguard people's privacy.
"We've agreed with Facebook to discuss with them issues around what they do with my information if I wish to deactivate my account".
In addition, he said that the ICO would look at Facebook's privacy policy, the rights to data the company asserts and the privacy implications of applications embedded in Facebook.
Although Facebook and many other social networks are based outside of the UK, Mr Evans believes that UK law could still apply.
"They are established in the UK for UK legislation to cover their activities."
He said it was the clarity of information users receive on signing up with social networking sites that is the central concern of the ICO.
"One of the things that we'll be working with the sites to achieve is to get better quality information to users to make it absolutely clear to people what exactly will happen to their information once it's posted."
Mr Evans said that he believed that Facebook were committed to being seen to do as much as possible to safeguard people's privacy.
"We've agreed with Facebook to discuss with them issues around what they do with my information if I wish to deactivate my account".
In addition, he said that the ICO would look at Facebook's privacy policy, the rights to data the company asserts and the privacy implications of applications embedded in Facebook.
Although Facebook and many other social networks are based outside of the UK, Mr Evans believes that UK law could still apply.
"They are established in the UK for UK legislation to cover their activities."
He said it was the clarity of information users receive on signing up with social networking sites that is the central concern of the ICO.
"One of the things that we'll be working with the sites to achieve is to get better quality information to users to make it absolutely clear to people what exactly will happen to their information once it's posted."
Story from BBC NEWS:http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/technology/7196803.stm
Facebook's 40 million users should not worry that personal details will be available to anyone searching the net.
That was the message from executives at the social network who are in London to set up their first overseas office.
Facebook's plan to make user profiles available to search engines has provoked anxiety amongst some users and attacks from privacy campaigners.
But the firm's head of privacy said that the idea that personal data would be exposed was "completely wrong".
"The only data that will be available is your profile picture and your name - and then only if you agree that your profile should be searchable," said Chris Kelly.
Common sense
Facebook announced the move to open users' profiles to search engines such as Google in early September.
In addition, the firm has added a public search function to its site which will initially allow anyone, even if they are not registered with the site, to search for a specific personFacebook announced the move to open users' profiles to search engines such as Google in early September.
At the time of the announcement, Om Malik, an influential blogger, wrote: "This is yet another small step in the overall erosion of personal privacy."
"We are slowly leaving digital litter all over the web, and some day it is going to cause problems."
"We are slowly leaving digital litter all over the web, and some day it is going to cause problems."
But Mr Kelly insisted that the company offered new users plenty of advice on protecting their profiles from unwanted visitors, and 20% had changed their privacy settings.
But he said people had to use common sense: "You would not walk down the street with your mobile phone number written on your forehead, and you shouldn't do that on Facebook either."
Facebook had been working with the Home Office in Britain on child protection and privacy issues, he added.
Facebook had been working with the Home Office in Britain on child protection and privacy issues, he added.
Word score
Later this month Facebook will open an office in London's Soho, the first overseas operation for a firm whose 300 staff are mostly based in Palo Alto, California.
With 5.2 million users active in the last month, the UK is Facebook's fastest growing market.
Other sites are more popular than Facebook in the UK
It is attracting rather older users than in the USA, where it started as a network for college students. 54% of UK users are over 25, and the over-35s are the fast growing age group.
"The service is now incredibly diverse," said Chamath Palihapitiya, Facebook's Vice-President for Product Marketing.
Later this month Facebook will open an office in London's Soho, the first overseas operation for a firm whose 300 staff are mostly based in Palo Alto, California.
With 5.2 million users active in the last month, the UK is Facebook's fastest growing market.
Other sites are more popular than Facebook in the UK
It is attracting rather older users than in the USA, where it started as a network for college students. 54% of UK users are over 25, and the over-35s are the fast growing age group.
"The service is now incredibly diverse," said Chamath Palihapitiya, Facebook's Vice-President for Product Marketing.
"75% of our users are outside college - a significant majority are in the 30 plus age demographic. It's a social utility that has become very pervasive and useful for a wide variety of people."
Mr Palihapitiya also revealed that Facebook now aimed to have 60 million active users worldwide by the end of this year, having already passed its original 2007 target of 40 million users.
Mr Palihapitiya also revealed that Facebook now aimed to have 60 million active users worldwide by the end of this year, having already passed its original 2007 target of 40 million users.
This year's rapid expansion has been partly fuelled by the opening up of Facebook to outside software developers in May.
So far they have created 3000 applications, and 80,000 developers around the world are working on new ones, in effect transforming the social network into an operating system for no payment.
Chamath Palihapitiya points to the two young Indian developers who have produced a Facebook scrabble game that is now amongst the most popular applications: "You have Fortune 500 companies doing this and you've got two kids in India. It's very empowering for the whole community."
Social battleground
But the big question for those developers and for the Facebook management is how to introduce more sophisticated advertising to the site, to generate more revenue without annoying users.
But the big question for those developers and for the Facebook management is how to introduce more sophisticated advertising to the site, to generate more revenue without annoying users.
The Facebook executives are vague about their plans but it is clear they want to give advertisers more opportunities to target individuals according to their interests.
So someone who lists Forty year Old Virgin as one of their favourite films could find a trailer for Knocked Up popping up on their page.
While Facebook is attracting all the attention at the moment, it is worth remembering that it is still not the most popular social network in Britain.
That is either MySpace or Bebo, according to whether you believe Nielsen netRatings or Comscore.
But Nielsen is predicting that Facebook will overtake MySpace in the UK this month.
Social networking is now a very big business and the UK market is a key battleground
Social networking is now a very big business and the UK market is a key battleground
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