Despite Facebook’s recent release of new security tools to assuage the widespread user privacy concerns, new statistics revealed by analytics company ComScore indicate that negative perceptions of the social network are on the rise, especially among older users.

As such, even when Facebook is trying to convince its almost 400 million users that it is making all possible attempts to protect their online privacy, the site has still probably not been able to dissuade a number of the users from considering the option of deleting their accounts.

That Facebook is facing an uprising of sorts against the manner in which users’ personal information is used for increasing ad revenue is further evident from the fact that US lawmakers have requested the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to take some action against the contentious privacy policies followed by Facebook and other social networking sites.

In addition, Facebook has also received a May 13-dated letter from a European group of data protection authorities, who have alleged that the recent alterations made to the social network’s Website have potentially “changed the default settings on its social networking platform to the detriment of a user.”

Meanwhile, noting that social networks do not necessarily have to be “at odds with protecting privacy,” Jeff Chester, executive director of the Center for Digital Democracy, remarked: “A responsible social network can balance generating profits with also protecting privacy.”