Facebook users will now have to choose to activate face recognition if they want to use it to be identified in the photos posted on the social network, the platform said Tuesday. Otherwise, the feature will remain disabled by default.
This change comes as the network giant is under pressure from institutions to better protect the privacy and data, including biometrics, of its users. Facial recognition technology automatically identifies people in photos posted on Facebook, if they are contacts of users. They can then choose to caption the photo with their names.
A record fine of $ 5 billion inflicted
For nearly two years, this feature has gone further, notifying users when they appear on images posted on the network by their contacts. Now, people who use this option or who join the network from Tuesday will be offered the activation or not of this technology. Apart from this button on / off, the principles that previously governed it remain unchanged.
The feature "still does not identify you (with people who are not part of your contacts)," said Srinivas Narayanan, researcher of the division of artificial intelligence of Facebook, in an online statement. "We do not share your facial recognition information with third parties, and we do not sell our technology," he adds.
In late July, the US Consumer Protection Agency has imposed Facebook a record fine of $ 5 billion for "misleading" its users on their ability to control their personal information.