European regulators investigate Facebook over facial recognition

EUROPEAN REGULATORS are investigating Facebook over a facial recognition feature it recently rolled out, with many concerned about the potential implications for privacy.

The main probe of Facebook comes from the Article 29 Data Protection Working Party, a European Commission group that focuses on privacy and data issues. The group is not happy with the default setting of the tag suggestions feature, which it said carries a significant privacy risk. It has warned that Facebook cannot operate the feature in this manner and it has the power to enforce changes if necessary.

Other national data protection agencies, including the UK's Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) and Ireland's Data Protection Commissioner have also spoken out against Facebook and have said they are seeking additional information from the company on the technology.

The feature works by using facial recognition software to identity a person and then suggest their name to a friend based on information in previously tagged photos. Many people are unhappy with being manually tagged in the first place, often untagging themselves afterwards, but this feature automates the entire process and adds a sinister layer of privacy invasion through facial recognition.

While some people might find the feature useful, the majority of people didn't even know it had been enabled. This kind of covert approach raises questions regarding what Facebook wants to achieve with facial recognition. The fact that users have to opt out of it through a button buried deep within their privacy settings instead of having to opt in initially is a point of contention among those who feel their privacy is being invaded.

An ICO spokesperson told The INQUIRER, "As with any new technology, we would expect Facebook to be upfront about how people's personal information is being used. The privacy issues that this new software might raise are obvious and users should be given as much information as possible to give them the opportunity to make an informed choice about whether they wish to use it. We are speaking to Facebook about the privacy implications of this technology."

Facebook will turn on the face tagging feature in the US over the next few weeks, so we can expect to see similar privacy investigations across the pond as well. µ