Feb 07

European data authorities confirm Facebook facial recognition software deletion

Posted in: Today's Chili

DNA European data authorities confirm Facebook facial recognition software deletion

After landing itself in hot water with the Irish Data Protection Commissioner (DPC) and Hamburg’s Data Protection Authority (DPA), Facebook has deleted all of its European photo tagging facial recognition data. After reviewing the company’s source code and deletion process, DPC spokesperson Ciara O’Sullivan confirmed today that the regulatory agency was satisfied with the social network’s compliance. Additional removal confirmation came from Hamburg’s DPC’s technical department, which also reviewed the firm’s software to ensure that its standards were met. In a recent comment to CFO World, a Facebook spokesperson confirmed that the data had been deleted and that the social network has no plans to reinstate facial recognition software in Europe anytime soon. No word on whether Facebook will now purchase sadface.com for… oh, $80 million or so.

Filed under: ,

Comments

Source: CFO World

No Comments | Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
Sep 21

Facebook shutting down facial recognition in the EU, gets stamp of approval from Ireland DPC

Posted in: Today's Chili

Earlier this year, Ireland’s Data Protection Commissioner, a body whose decisions impact Facebook’s policies in Europe at large, made several recommendations to bring the website in line with regional privacy laws, calling for greater transparency on how users’ data is handled and more user control over settings, among other things. The DPC just officially announced that Zuckerberg et al. have for the most part adjusted its policies accordingly. The biggest change involves the facial recognition feature, which attempts to identify Facebook friends in photos and suggest their names for tagging. The social network turned off this functionality for new users in the EU — and it will be shutting it down entirely by October 15th. It’s not like Ireland, home to Facebook’s European HQ, is the first to give the site flack about such features: Germany was having none of it when the site introduced facial recognition last summer.

Continue reading Facebook shutting down facial recognition in the EU, gets stamp of approval from Ireland DPC

Filed under:

Facebook shutting down facial recognition in the EU, gets stamp of approval from Ireland DPC originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 Sep 2012 10:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink TechCrunch  |   | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,