FTC pushed to suspend Facebook's automated photo-tagging feature

by Steven Mostyn - Jun 13 2011, 06:55

A facial recognition system employed by Facebook to automatically tag user photos has ruffled the feathers of privacy groups this week, so much so that they’re demanding Zuckerberg & Co. cancel its implementation.

One such group, the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), has lodged a complaint with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in which it claims the automated Tag Suggestions technology used by Facebook is both “unfair” and “deceptive”.

According to EPIC, the photo-tagging feature should be suspended ahead of a full investigation and the creation of stronger privacy standards. It also takes issue with Facebook’s decision to make the automated platform opt-out instead of opt-in.

“Millions of people have used [Tag Suggestions] to add hundreds of millions of tags,” said Facebook in an official statement responding to privacy concerns.

“This data, and the fact that we’ve had almost no user complaints, suggests people are enjoying the feature and are finding it useful,” it added. “For those who don’t, we made turning off Tag Suggestions easy.”

Despite Facebook’s confidence regarding user satisfaction and ease of use, EPIC has warned that the world’s leading social network could use its expanding biometric user database “for purposes over which users will be able to exercise no meaningful control.”

That lack of control could, perhaps, see Facebook selling its information to third parties without user knowledge.

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