Facebook Hires Former FTC Chairman

From 2005 to now, the information posted by users to Facebook has, by default, grown less and less private -- as a nifty visual time line produced by IBM Research developer Matt McKeon.

Which might explain why the Federal Trade Commission is considering complaints about possible breaches of consumer protection laws.

So what's Facebook to do? Well, hire a former FTC official from the Bush administration as a consultant.

While the company denies former FTC Chairman Tim Muris is an employee, All Things D cites anonymous sources as saying he is serving as a consultant.

Meanwhile, the company says that it will soon allow users to share their locations in status updates.

That the new feature, due this month, was reported by advertising trade publication Advertising Age should tell you pretty much all you need to know.

Jackson West wonders if consumer protection laws apply to users, since advertisers are the company's real customers.