Users reported seeing their private messages, along with viewable wall posts appearing under the "Friends" box in Facebook's Timeline view, according to the news reports. This reporter's Facebook account did not appear to have the problem.

TechCrunch, one of the news sites that carried the story, reported receiving several emails from readers complaining about seeing their older private messages suddenly viewable to others.

The author of the TechCrunch story reported seeing the problem on her own Facebook page and on some of her friends' timelines as well. The issue has surfaced in the U.S. and elsewhere, but does not appear to affect all Facebook users, according to .

receiving emails from readers in the U.S., France, Canada, Brazil, Israel, Netherlands and the U.K. complaining of the same problem. Several newspapers in France including and also reported the issue.

A spokeswoman today downplayed the reports and insisted there was no privacy breach.