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Facebook
has turned off its controversial tag suggestions feature for users in Europe,
in a move that campaigners will hail as a victory for privacy.
The
social network tool took biometric information provided when users tag friends'
faces in photos to make suggestions on the correct tags for future images.
But
the company was heavily criticised when it introduced the feature and
automatically opted-in all users in Europe last June without formally announcing
its arrival on the site.
Privacy
campaigners were particularly disturbed since Facebook allows photographs to be
published on its site without the express permission - or even knowledge - of
those pictured.
With
the facial-recognition feature activated on the site, this meant in essence
that those uploading photos were handing the personal biometric information of
those photographed over to the company.
The removal of the feature and the forced
deletion of all the biometric data will be a blow to the company which is under
intense pressure to find new ways to convert its vast hoard users' personal
information into cash since it was floated on the stock market earlier this
year.
Mark
Zuckerberg, Facebook CEO: The decision will be a blow to the company which is
under pressure to find new ways to rake in more money.
Responding
to the removal of the feature, Nick Pickles, director of privacy campaign group
Big Brother Watch, said: 'Users need to be in control of what happens to their
data and it’s absolutely right this applies to people’s pictures on Facebook in
the same way as their written personal information.
'The
wider issue is not just about people opting-in to use the technology, but how
you regulate something when often the person in the photo might not be aware
their photo has even been uploaded.
'Facial
recognition has the potential to undermine people’s privacy far more
dramatically than most existing technology, with ever more creative uses
finding ways to track us and target us.'
Facebook
was forced to carry out a review of the controversial feature's introduction
after a wave of anger about potential data protection issues.
It
announced last month that it would suspend the feature across Europe and erase
all the biometric facial-recognition data it has collected thus far from users
on the continent by October 15.
GOOGLE
ORDERED TO FIX PRIVACY POLICY 'WITHIN MONTHS'
European
regulators have ordered Google to clarify its new privacy policy and make it easier
for users to opt out of it.
France’s
National Commission on Computing and Freedom led a European investigation into
Google’s new unified policy, which replaced 60 individual policies for its
search, email and other services and regulates how it uses the personal data it
collects.
CNIL's
president Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin said the company had 'three or four months'
to make the revisions, otherwise 'authorities in several countries can take
action against Google'.
Google
responded that it is reviewing the commission’s report but that it believes its
policy respects European law.
The
current row revolves around Google's decision to pool of anonymous user data
across Google services. For Google, this is a big advantage when selling online
ads.
Google
and other large internet groups like Facebook provide free services to
consumers and earn money from selling ads that they say are more closely
targeted than traditional TV or radio campaigns.
The
move followed a review by Facebook Ireland of the degree to which the social
networking site had implemented recommendations made in an audit of the social
networking site by the Irish Data Protection Commission last December.
That
report assessed Facebook Ireland’s compliance with Irish Data Protection law
and by extension EU law. The aim is to re-introduce the tag feature in the
future, but with new guidelines and different forms of notice and consent.
Billy
Hawkes, the Data Protection Commissioner for Ireland, said last month the tool
would only return to the site if Facebook agreed with the department on the
'most appropriate means of collecting user consent'.
He
praised the multi-billion pound company for 'sending a clear signal of its wish
to demonstrate its commitment to best practice in data protection compliance.'
Mr
Hawkes says Facebook should make users more aware of what happens to their
personal data to increase control over privacy settings.
Mr
Pickles added: 'It may be possible in future to find a way to use facial
recognition on Facebook in very limited circumstances.
'However,
given the challenge of securing consent from both the person uploading the
photo and the people in the photo being scanned, it may be practically
impossible to secure an adequate level of consent.
'What
must not happen is the consent requirement be watered down because it proves
difficult.'
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