As Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding prepares to adapt the 1995 directive on the protection of privacy to the internet era, European privacy regulators are raising concerns about a new facial recognition feature on the social network Facebook. 'The way the facial recognition software is put in place by Facebook, the fact that it is activated automatically without the user giving prior consent, disturbs us,' said Gerard Lommel, head of the Luxembourg regulatory authority. He added that his British and Irish colleagues have started examining the problem and have also voiced concerns, like the German regulators. 'We are going to have to agree on cooperation among authorities in Europe,' he added.
Introduced six months ago, the new Facebook feature uses facial recognition software to compare photos placed online recently with older photos to suggest the names of those pictured and to suggest that users tag them. The new function is also being decried in the United States. Concerns in Europe focus on the automatic activation of the service, but even if Facebook users had to opt into the service, certain concerns would remain.
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