Under pressure, Facebook disables facial recognition in Europe

Facebook is dropping its controversial facial recognition feature, for European users at least, following a privacy backlash from users and regulators.

But it may not be long before it returns..

The social networking giant has agreed to suspend facial recognition in Europe, following demands by the European Union on the social network to improve its customer privacy protection.

Facebook removed access to its "Tag Suggest" feature at the request of Ireland's Data Protection Commissioner (DPC).

That controversial feature matches the faces in photos posted to Facebook with users, making it easier for Facebook users to identify individuals pictured in photographs they upload to the site.

The DPC was charged with reviewing Facebook’s privacy practices to determine whether they were in-line with EU data privacy laws. An audit completed by the agency in December, 2011, recommended 45 changes to the social network’s features to improve user privacy protections.

The audit followed a public uproar after an Austrian student, Max Schrems, requested a copy of the data that Facebook stored about him.

Schrems received a 1,200 page document that suggested the company was collecting awide range of information about users without their consent, and holding onto information – photos and comments – that users had been led to believe were deleted.

Among the data retained by Facebook were photo tags – many attributed without the subject’s consent using automated facial recognition technology embedded in Facebook's service.

That feature, dubbed "Tag Suggest" came under scrutiny in the DPC audit, with the Irish agency arguing that Facebook needed to give users the option of opting out of the Tag Suggest feature.

During negotiations, the European Commission further issued Article 29, a ruling on the use of facial recognition and other biometric technology in mobile devices.

During negotiations with the DPC, Facebook disabled the feature for EU users.

[link to nakedsecurity.sophos.com]