What do you think of the Google+ Find My Face Facial Recognition Tool?
‘Find My Face’, the Google+ facial recognition tool, is slowly rolling out to all users over the next few days. Functionally, Find My Face is nearly identical to Facebook’s facial-recognition “Tag Suggestions” program that automatically scans pictures posted to the network and offers suggestions about who may be in the photo.
Now, you may recall that last year Facebook introduced a facial recognition tool that automatically suggested the identities of the friends in new photos to make tagging them easier. The purpose of this new technology was to make it easier for people to tag their friends in photos. The results of the facial recognition tool roll out last year was outrage from privacy groups. Forbes had the following to say about the privacy concerns regarding facial recognition tools:
There are legitimate concerns about technology making certain processes easier and thus threatening privacy. The one that immediately springs to my mind is law enforcement’s use of GPS tracking devices. Courts are torn on whether automating the process of tailing people by slapping a GPS tracker on their car presents a privacy concern. Police don’t need a warrant to tail you in person, but should they need one to tail you robotically? The Ninth Circuitsays no. The Supreme Court will likely weigh in on the issue eventually. http://www.forbes.com/sites/kashmirhill/2011/06/09/facebook-facial-recognition-can-we-please-save-the-outrage-for-real-privacy-violations/
Due to public outcry, Facebook ceased the facial recognition tool for its users. Now Google+ wants to offer the same service for their users. Is this a good idea?
Google+ to Roll Out Facial Recognition Tool | Find My Face
With all the uproar caused by Facebook and their facial recognition tool roll out last year, why in the world would Google+ want to go down this path? Because the facial recognition tool, if rolled out properly, is still a benefit to its users. The biggest problem that people had with the Facebook facial recognition tool was the fact that it would be implemented by default. Therefore, if you could roll out a facial recognition tool on a voluntary basis, it may be received by the public in a more favorable light.
With this logic in mind, Google+ is rolling out the ‘Find My Face’ feature for users to voluntarily opt in to. Again, will functionally identical to Facebook’s facial recognition tool, the biggest difference with this new Google feature is that using it is voluntary instead of mandatory. ‘Find My Face’, should you decide to turn the feature on, will find all the photos of you friends have uploaded and will suggest friends tag you if it spots you in a photo that they upload (or have previously uploaded). Not only will the Find My Face facial recognition tool provide a service to some users who want this type of technology, but it will stay out of trouble with the FTC as well, which says that Google can’t repurpose users’ information without their express content.
Google+ to Roll Out Facial Recognition Tool | Google Engineer Matt Steiner
Here’s what Google Engineer Matt Steiner had to say about the release of Find my Face:
Around the holidays, many of us get together with friends and family, and if you’re like me, you take lots of photos! Tagging those photos can be a lot of work. So today we’re launching Find My Face, an easier way to tag photos of yourself and your friends. By turning on Find My Face, Google+ can prompt people you know to tag your face when it appears in photos. Of course, you have control over which tags you accept or reject, and you can turn the feature on or off in Google+ settings. (https://plus.google.com/settings/plus). Find My Face will be rolling out over the next few days. We hope this makes tagging your photos much easier, so try it out! And as always, keep the feedback coming.