Learning providers considering (or already using) external social networking sites in a work related capacity in teaching and learning, or in communicating with students will be interested in the report that the Information Commissioner is to investigate a complaint regarding the retention of personal data on servers of a well known social networking site.

This story highlights a concern that the level of privacy and data protection offered by some social networking sites may not always match that provided by an institution’s own systems and staff should check that their use will not conflict with their institutional policies. Read more at http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/11/20/facebook_uk_data_protection/ .