SINGAPORE: Facebook users are reminded to keep up-to-date with their privacy settings as Facebook announces its latest controversial feature.
IT security and control firm Sophos said the social network is launching automated photo tagging initially in the United States but would roll out the feature across the rest of the world in coming months.
In a statement yesterday, Sophos said facial recognition software would mean Facebook could match people’s faces in photos with other images where they appeared.
The tagging would not be completely automatic as the tags would just be suggestions but users would be identified by default unless they opted-out, it said.
Once users had been identified to Facebook by one friend, they run the risk of being identified by Facebook to other friends, the firm added.
Even people who were not on Facebook or who chose not to identify themselves openly in uploaded photos might, nevertheless, end up easy to find in online photos, Sophos said.
“While this feature may be appealing for those Facebook users that are keen to share every detail of their social life with their online friends, it is alarming to those who wish to have a little more anonymity,” said Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos.
The firm said if users were not willing to be part of this feature they should opt out when the feature is introduced. — Bernama