The Press Complaints Commission (PCC) is currently conducting research into the issue of public attitudes concerning privacy in relation to social networking sites, HoldTheFrontPage.co.uk reports.

According to the website, the commission is concerned over the implications arising from the increasing availability of personal information - such as photographs taken in private places - on the internet.

An independent body which deals with complaints from the public about the content of newspapers and magazines, the PCC is interested in the issue of social networking privacy because journalists have access to the information posted on internet communities, such as Facebook.

The research it conducts will be considered alongside work completed by other organisations - including Ofcom - and will examine how news is gathered by journalists, how people view privacy as a concept and the role of bodies such as the PCC in protecting privacy.

In a statement, the commission said: "It has been clear to the PCC for some time that the maintenance and improvement of standards online can really only adequately be achieved by self-regulatory bodies.

"This is because modern digital communication - which is free, immediate and global - renders national jurisdictions meaningless and imposed rules futile."

Earlier this month, the Home Office published a set of guidelines for social networking sites concerning best practice, security and privacy.

Among other things, it recommended that profiles created by youngsters are set to private by default or are set to ensure that they can only be viewed by friends nominated by the user.