Facebook in trouble with Canada's privacy commissioner

According to Canadian law, companies are only allowed to retain such information as long as is deemed necessary.

Facebook's privacy practices were also "confusing or incomplete" for users, said Stoddart, who demanded the site make its policies more transparent.

The website was also criticised for allowing third parties to access sensitive user information through Facebook applications, a popular platform for advertisers.

Stoddart said: "Facebook has to be more transparent about telling people what they do with their personal information, how long they keep it, and who is able to use it."

Facebook has 30 days to respond to the report before the privacy commission turns to Canada's federal courts to enforce the changes.

The company, though headquartered in California, has offices in Canada, giving the country's courts jurisdiction.

The company said in a statement: "Facebook and the Canadian privacy commissioner's office share the common goal of making the internet more privacy friendly for Canadians and users across the world."

About 12m Canadians are Facebook users, accounting for more than a third of the country's 33.6m citizens. Facebook has more than 250m users around the world.

Earlier this year the website faced a user revolt after making amendments to its privacy policy, which decreed that Facebook, not the users, owned the content shared on its website.

In the end, the company relented, and worked together with Facebook users to draw up new guidelines after more than 25,000 threatened a boycott.