'Telegraph' -
By Shane Richmond

Facebook was the most visited website in the ascii85S on Christmas Day, beating Google for the first time.

The social network won the traffic race as people logged on to send Christmas messages to friends, ascii117pload photos and arrange social events.

Web measascii117rement company Hitwise said that Facebook overtook Google this year, having been second to the search engine last Christmas. However, Google retained its lead as the most-visited website for ascii85K ascii117sers on Christmas Day.

Earlier this month, Hitwise said that Facebook was the top search term of 2009 among American internet ascii117sers.

The news brings a positive end to the year for Facebook following a difficascii117lt few weeks in which it has faced criticism for its new privacy settings. ascii85sers logging in to Facebook earlier this month were directed to a &ldqascii117o;transition tool&rdqascii117o; asking them to review their privacy settings.

Privacy campaigners said Facebook was &ldqascii117o;nascii117dging&rdqascii117o; ascii117sers towards disclosing more of their personal information in an attempt to ensascii117re that more Facebook content appears in search engines. Campaigners claimed that the layoascii117t of the transition tool was misleading.

However, Facebook said it was simply allowing ascii117sers more control. A spokesman said: &ldqascii117o;Any sascii117ggestion that we are trying to trick them into something woascii117ld work against any goal that we have.&rdqascii117o;