Starting December 1, Facebook reportedly will remove several biographic details from user profiles, including “Religious views,” “Political views,” “Interested in” (indicating the user’s sexual orientation), and “Address.” Many state privacy laws, including California’s Privacy Rights Act, restrict how businesses can collect and use these types of sensitive personal information. Facebook has not confirmed why it is removing these biographical details or whether it will delete this information or simply remove it from public profiles

Blair Robinson also contributed to this article.