The online protest groups against Facebook's new policy, which allegedly threatens the privacy of the users, are growing in numbers - with tens of thousands of Facebook users joining in to criticize the social networking site's revised terms of service! And there are countless others who have canceled their accounts!

Updating its policy on February 4, Facebook made a few not-so-easily-discernible changes in its legal language, which were brought to public notice by the consumerist. com blog on Sunday. The blog, associated with a New York-based Consumers Union, accused Facebook of seeking to "do whatever it wants" with the users' material.

The contention arose over the erasure of certain words, whereby Facebook said its license to use users' information would "automatically expire" with the removal of the content.

Terming Facebook's new policy claims as "extraordinarily grabby and arrogant," the protestors are insisting that Facebook should provide comprehensive answers to objections against the change, which apparently gives the social network lawful rights to videos, pictures, messages and notes of the users, even after they removed their Facebook profile.

Elucidating that the revised policy was aimed at making the company's terms clearer, Facbook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said: "We wouldn't share information in a way people wouldn't want. Our philosophy is that people own their information and control who they share it with!" (Rupinder contributed to this report)