Facebook received a fine from a German privacy controller after it failed to obtain the permission of the people whose contact particulars it contained.

At issue are the site's invite and address-book synchronization functions, via which uploads and stores contact details from the e-mail and mobile phone address books of its users.

The trouble, according to the Hamburg Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information, is that a few of the personal information is related to those people who are not Facebook users and who have not granted approval to the site to store their particulars or personal information, and also not use it for marketing purposes.

If a person creates a Facebook account, one is invited to upload one’s e-mail address so that it can send e-mail invitations to their known, so that even they join Facebook, or identify those of their contacts that have already joined Facebook to suggest that they become Facebook friends.

If the Facebook user opts not to send an e-mail invitation to a contact, which has yet not joined Facebook, that contact's e-mail address is stored nevertheless, associated with that of the user who uploaded it.

Facebook on a regular basis invites users by means of their account page to add people who are your acquaintances.