UK watchdog looking into Facebook face-tech row

Blighty's data regulator the Information Commissioners Office is talking to Facebook about the "privacy implications" of its facial recognition technology, The Register has learned. However, despite widespread reporting based on a Bloomberg story that suggests that European watchdogs are probing the company over this issue, no …

[Graham Marsden]

"the Information Commissioners Office is...

"...talking to Facebook about the "privacy implications" of its facial recognition technology"

And I bet Facebook are trembling in their boots at the awesome powers the ICO have and aren't afraid to use...

[Anomalous Cowturd]

Hmmm...

Logged in to Failbook this evening, and lo and behold, by default, I am apparently allowing people I have tagged, and their friends, to see them.

Good job I don't have ANY real friends or pictures on there. Or a profile under my real name. Or ANY real info, other than my christian name...

More logs on the fire...

You'd have to be like this bloke to miss it...

[Anomalous Cowturd]

P.S.

Bet there are millions, (or tens of millions), of them...

Thanks for the heads up elReg.

[Fred Flintstone]

Not enough..

As with Google Picasa (let's not forget that they started with this idea), you cannot stop being tagged by others who have pictures in which you feature. This is the principal problem with most Data Protection laws: there is nothing in them to prevent acquiring your data through 3rd parties.

Why do you think a Farcebook account starts with "now go and tell all your friends" - that's free, unlimited data for them..

So, until the laws (+ enforcement) get better you have to find a way of controlling what your friends do too - I wish you luck with that. The irritating thing is that NOT having an account makes it even less likely you find out - the only redeeming feature of Farcebook versus Ogle Picasa is that with Farcebook you stand at least a chance of finding out about being tagged so you can nuke it. No such luck with Ogle..

[The Alpha Klutz]

"you have to find a way of controlling what your friends do too"

its so much easier to just not have friends.

or just have one, and even then dont talk to him that often. (and it would have to be a him, you cant go long periods without talking to women or they will assume you don't like them anymore)

The more people you associate with, the more things you are able to do (greater resources) but the less control you have over WHAT you actually do. these days you have to be a loud mouth cunt just to get your idea heard at all.

Besides, the amount of respect you get in any given group is directly proportional to how your hair style ranks in the group. People like me get no respect, purely because we were born with the wrong kind of hair. It's not shiny enough, or it doesn't flop in the right direction. You might think this is a silly hypothesis, but trust me I am right.

And if you ever do get in with a good crowd, that's when the demands will start "do this do that, why aren't you helping fund our day trip to the arctic" maybe I don't fucking like the arctic. maybe thats why.

Sod em.

[Lamont Cranston]

Why are you even on there, then?

I don't really have a huge problem with this development, but then the odds of a compromising photo of me turning up are pretty small (even then, getting it removed is unlikely to be a big problem, as I don't make a habit of acting like a tit in front of total strangers).

[Anonymous Coward]

Don't hold your breath

Chocolate fireguards.

[Anonymous Coward]

A title

Well, if the ICO is does as normal... there will be nothing to see here.

[Anonymous Coward]

Chances the ICO will actually *do* anything...

... zero

[Anonymous Coward]

Hands up those who think the ICO will do anything?

Based on past experience does anyone think that the ICO investigating a company will result in anything useful resulting from this?

[Anonymous Coward]

Facebook privacy settings

Were changed from

"You never had any"

to

"You still fucking don't"

[Ray 8]

mmmm

Since my profile picture is a clown and my other pictures are of animals and inanimate objects. How would the software work?

[Winkypop]

"As with any new technology, we would expect Facebook to be upfront ........"

Best laugh I've had today.

Good one.

[Anonymous Coward]

Face recognition app?

So how long before someone builds an app which allow you to take a stranger's photo, upload it to facebook and get their name and details...?

[multipharious]

Doesn't work that way

The tag suggestions are only offered to friends. Check out the facebook blog announcing the functionality. Still, this is a sobering thought. What if there were an exploit that allowed it? There are bugs. It is software.

[david 63]

You mean like Tin Eye?

see above

[The Nameless Mist]

Chocolate Fireguards

thats how useful the Info Comm is here.

After all they didn't even lift a finger when BT teamed up with PHORM and were mining people's internet access.

[Anonymous Coward]

Big business scare them

We all know that ICO is scared of all big business. It will do nothing and will just accepted there sorry for upsetting anyone and nothing will happen.

Or has every forgot about Phorm and BT.

[technocrat]

removed

my account will not log in for 14 days, had enough this is beyond a joke fed up with the stealthing that facebook keeps getting up to.

A) I dont particularly want facebook selling everything about me down to photographs

B) I dont trust myself when drunk, get up to some mischief dont fancy any of those photos surfacing :p

[Sam Therapy]

ICO will do sod all

As per fucking usual.