Facebook is “bringing” facial recognition to all users, the company announced Tuesday. But the EFF’s surveillance litigation director and a senior staff attorney warn that despite media reports, Facebook’s announcement “definitely does not say that face recognition is now opt-in for all users.”
Throughout Facebook’s deliberately vague announcement, it takes great pains to note that the change applies only to new Facebook users and people who currently have the “tag suggestions” setting. However, Facebook migrated many, if not most, existing users from “tag suggestions” to “face recognition” in December 2017… That means this safeguard does not apply to the billions of current Facebook users who have already been moved…
Facebook should not subject any of its users to face surveillance, absent their informed opt-in consent. And Facebook should clear up the uncertainties in in its announcement before it gets any more credit than it’s due for this change.
Facebook’s announcement didn’t even include links to the “Settings” menu where users can opt out of Facebook’s facial recognition, so the EFF’s article helpfully provides both mobile and desktop links. According to Facebook’s own help pages, the left-side menu should include a “Face Recognition” choice where users can turn off Facebook’s face recognition features.
But three different Facebook users I know have also reported that that menu choice just isn’t there…
of this story at Slashdot.
Source:: Slashdot