Sophos Cloud Optix
When Facebook revealed last year it was introducing facial recognition technology to help users tag their friends in photographs, they gave the functionality to North American users only.
Most of the rest of us found the option in our privacy settings was “not yet available”, which meant we could neither enable or disable it. We simply had to wait until Facebook decided to roll it out to our account.
Well, now might be a good time to check your Facebook privacy settings as many Facebook users are reporting that the site has enabled the option in the last few days without giving users any notice.
There are billions of photographs on Facebook’s servers. As your Facebook friends upload their albums, Facebook will try to determine if any of the pictures look like you. And if they find what they believe to be a match, they may well urge one of your Facebook friends to tag it with your name.
The tagging is still done by your friends, not by Facebook, but rather creepily Facebook is now pushing your friends to go ahead and tag you.
Remember, Facebook does not give you any right to pre-approve tags. Instead the onus is on you to untag yourself in any photo a friend has tagged you in. After the fact.
If this is something you’re uncomfortable with, disable “Suggest photos of me to friends” now.
Here’s how you do it.
* Go to your Facebook account’s privacy settings.
* Click on “Customise settings”.
* Under “Things others share” you should see an option titled “Suggest photos of me to friends. When photos look like me, suggest my name”.
* Unfortunately at this point you can’t tell whether Facebook has enabled the setting or not, you have to dig deeper..
* Click on “Edit settings”.
* If Facebook has enabled auto-suggestion of photo tags you will find the option says “Enabled”.
* Change it to “Disabled” if you don’t want Facebook to work that way.
* Press “OK”.
Earlier this year, Sophos wrote an open letter to Facebook. Amongst other things, we asked for “privacy by default” – meaning that there should be no more sharing of information without users’ express agreement (OPT-IN).
Unfortunately, once again, Facebook seems to be sharing personal information by default. Many people feel distinctly uncomfortable about a site like Facebook learning what they look like, and using that information without their permission.
Most Facebook users still don’t know how to set their privacy options safely, finding the whole system confusing. It’s even harder though to keep control when Facebook changes the settings without your knowledge.
The onus should not be on Facebook users having to “opt-out” of the facial recognition feature, but instead on users having to “opt-in”.
Yet again, it feels like Facebook is eroding the online privacy of its users by stealth.
If you are on Facebook and want to keep yourself informed about the latest news from the world of internet security and privacy you could do a lot worse than join the Sophos Facebook page where we regularly discuss these issues and best practice.
You should also take some time to read our step-by-step advice on how best to configure your Facebook privacy settings.
How many more appalling abuses of their personal privacy are Facebook users going to tolerate?
Oh, yeah, that's right… it's loads isn't it. Loads and loads and loads and…
Or just don't put up stuff which you wouldn't want the world to see?
Anyone can post pictures of you on Facebook with or without your knowledge or consent. Like the ones from that last trip to Vegas.
That's all well and good, but you have no control over someone else putting things up.
https://www.facebook.com/help/?faq=22511000084846…
I'm not worried – My friends are too ugly for the software to recognise a 'face'
mine says this:
Suggest photos of me to friends
When photos look like me, suggest my name This is not yet available to you..
"Not yet available"…does that mean I can't stop this from happening or that it can't happen!?
It means you're going to have to keep a close eye on the option.
Because at some point in the future, Facebook is going to turn it on.
Unfortunately you won't know that they've done it, unless you keep your eyes peeled on your privacy settings. There's nothing you can do in preparation other than ask your Facebook friends to not tag you in photos. 🙁
Hi Graham,
Mind you if your security settings are correct. For example you only add friends you know to your FB account and/or only those friends are in a security group that you have specified only friends can see you tagged in photos you are tagged in this doesn't create any more of a risk than your friends tagging you in their usual tagging ways.
Personally speaking only Friends can see photos of me so the facial recognition doesn't make a difference.
and when I say Friends i mean people I know and would allow to see my photos not random strangers.
It means it cant happen, yet.
Facebook rolls out new features in stages and the new features probably haven't affected your account yet.
Thanks for this info! mine was en Enabled, without getting a notification this feature had been activated!
I have now disabled both the photo tagging and the 'places' as well!!
Am sharing this info as well! Thanks agian
Good idea, I will investigate more about personal security.
I get annoyed when they update something and it automatically sets stuff back to 'enabled' even though its been disabled before (sometimes more than once). Like when they updated the profiles, way you viewed photos (pop up screen) etc. I agree it should be 'opt-in' not 'opt-out'
I cannot see any real problem with this. When tagging a photo it has always listed my friends names. If I have used that tag recently, it is near the top. All that is happening now is it is guessing who it might be to save time trying to find the name.
It's not automatically tagging, that's still up to your friends to do that bit. If you are tagged in a photo you didn't want to be tagged in, it is still your friends fault (or yours for doing something wrong).
Hmm, a bit of a knee-jerk reaction here I think? This option just suggests tagging you in your friends' photos – nothing more than they used to be able to do – (assuming you let them before). It doesn't suggest your name to strangers or anything like that. As far as I can make out this makes no difference with regard to levels of privacy. I have to say though – if someone doesn't recognise me in a photo they're not that much of a friend!
Facebook is getting f**king creepy…
At least google admit it:
Eric Schmidt, the CEO of Google, has described his company’s policy: “Google policy is to get right up to the creepy line and not cross it.”
http://goo.gl/Hinfj
One of the reasons I have no Google profile (I checked a day or so ago) & no longer use Google as a search engine & will watch a video on YouTube but do not comment or download from there.
You do realise that Google owns something like 60% of all webservers and tracks users anyway + an enormous amount of traffic goes through Googles cloud and that doesn't even take into account pages that contain adds by Google.
Your being watched anyway.
Dont forget street view that knows where you live and logged any WiFi data you have floating about.
▌☠ ▌
Well as far as I am concerned they all have got right up to it, crossed it and tripped on it.
Question:
So is there still on way to stop people from tagging you. I mean is there a way yet to turn off all tagging. I don't think so is there ?
There is a privacy setting that allows you to control who sees photos tagged of you. There is no other privacy setting so if you don't want photos tagged at all then you need to remove tags as they are created.
Storm in a teacup. Facebook doesn't tag you but suggests to friends to tag you. If you don't want tagged tell your friends not to tag you and if a friend asksyou not to then respect their wishes.
Seemples.
My face goes with me everywhere and people can see it no problem. Are you suggesting we all go around with bags over our heads?
If some ppl wanna wear bags on their heads, why not?
People like you have their heads in the sand or up their ass. It’s obvious that this is all about testing police state technology and collecting information.
"Most Facebook users still don't know how to set their privacy options safely, finding the whole system confusing. It's even harder though to keep control when Facebook changes the settings without your knowledge. "
Want to know how to feel more comfortable about your time online? Want to ensure that facebook keeps your privacy?
Don't use facebook. Problem solved.
Until someone else posts photos of you and mentions your name in the comments…
Don't use facebook – done
thanks Liz for suggestion 🙂
Yeah, I really don’t see a big problem with this, it’s seems more like FB is trying to encourage people to tag others in pictures instead of leaving them untagged … if random people were seeing my name as a choice to tag their pictures, that’s one thing, but when it’s in my circle of friends I don’t see a problem. It’s a suggestion, it’s not forcing them to tag you.
I find it helpful to think of FB as being two companies: the uber-friendly one that people use to keep in touch with each other, and the gigantic data maw in the background, Hoovering up every lick of personal information that people so unthinkingly share, correllating it, packaging it, and exposing it to an unknown number of advertisers and entities who have use of this data.
Facebook's customers will be lucky if all the data is used for is to sell them more crap. Anyone who doesn't think governments all over the world aren't drooling over this treasure trove – facial recognition? rlly? – is kidding themselves.
Lol. Users, not customers. Advertisers and spam operators are FB's "customers."
FB also stores everything you enter into your account forever yet nobody has ever pointed this out. If at one point you entered (or discussed) you were a say… diabetic on your profile then deleted this from your profile, you will always see diabetic supply ads.
Google also stores everything you have searched for. Take a second and ask yourself just how much stuff have you typed in that search box?
Well that would explain why I continue to get baby formula samples and coupons and all my kids are in their late 20’s…..as if I was gonna have another! Pulleasssee!
Orwell’s 1984 has nothing on Zuckerberg’s 2011
No one is forcing anyone to use fb, you i—-.
I've chosen to follow these instruction because – well simply because I choose to. I'm not getting excited about it but if my friends want to tag me they will, they don't need to be told what to do.
I wonder if disabling that option in my account will stop FB suggesting that I should tag people though? I'd love to stop that just because I find it irritating – for the same reasons as above.
Your right to privacy is not compatible with our business plan. It will be eliminated.
If this is the Real Facebook, then Fie to you! I will take back my privacy, and be damned.
There are some IMHO important facts that most people don’t recognize.
1) Disabling the feature will NOT keep Facebook from doing face recognition. They will just not suggest your name for tagging. They first have to recognize you to know that you don;t want to be suggested, right? Facebook will still probably keep track of the images you are “recognized” in (and eventually share the information with govt. institutions on request).
2) You are not “safe” because you don’t use a real image of yourself as a profile picture (I am using a self created manga face). As soon as your friends start tagging you in images, Facebook will learn how you look like.
The best way to show Facebook that you don’t like that feature is to NO LONGER tag ANYONE in ANY image.
For what it's worth, you can that FB remove all of your photo summary information at: https://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/help/?faq=225…
“facebook” – resistance is futile, you will be assimilated.
It’s annoyed me no end that facebook rarely advertises its changes.
they change, we scream, they back off, and then they sneak it back in later.
I’m feeling like the frog in the proverbial ever increasing temperature water.
And I hear that it’s actually against Facebook’s policies and rules to tag people without their permission….
Keep up the good fight! (it was your site that instructed me how to set my privacy settings when I first got on Facebook. Even then I knew not to take any suggestions from them.
final question
Do you have an entire section just about Facebook? Cause it’s really needed.
…all things considered, I'll be leaving it on. I would rather know about photos of me on facebook then not.
I just checked mine and had some friends check theirs, all are set to disabled by default. Maybe it was just a hiccup when they allowed the feature to be used? Wouldn’t be the first time it was just some teething problems.
Ultimately, if you are that concearned, don’t use the damn thing.
And what prevents a friend from tagging a photo that's NOT you, with your name? And how will you know?
Nothing prevents another FB user from tagging with your name a photo that’s not you. But once the tag is placed, you will know about it because it generates a “story” in you newsfeed.
Hmmmm! I like this rather fasidious idea! upload a bunch of pictures of random people and put your name under them. Keep them guessing. It’s kind of like anyone who forces me to fill out login in information to access some white paper or other thing. They don’t get anything but crap data. E-mail address? noneof@yourbusiness.com You insist on my name to post? I don’t think so. Just do the same thing with FB.
mines still not available and im in north america >:(
Mine had been enabled without any action on my part. I disabled it.
I love how people sign up for a FREE SERVICE and the complain when people offer said FREE SERVICE make a change. You don’t pay for it, it’s an optional service that YOU signed up for. Facebook didn’t sell it to you or force you to sign up.
There is an EXTREMELY simple way to protect your privacy when it comes to Facebook, it’s called deleting your account!
It's surprisngly hard to delete your account once you've signed up. And even a free service has a duty to inform it's users of changes. This particular one doesn't bother me overly much, but I don't like having features I may or may not agree with being enabled without any information on said changes being sent my way.
Regardless of the service being offered, users should be told when changes are made.
isnt it impossible to delete a facebook account?
Seems like it. I deleted mine – I thought, but when I rejoined, my info was reinstated, so it was kept in the electronic ether of a data base, somewhere. If they want to know about you, they probably have that info already; why worry.
I agree whole heartedly. Facebook is a business and a company. You, as a client, are not required to use, participate, or join facebook. For example, if your neighborhood homeowners association has a lawn cutting company and you don't like how they cut your grass, you dont have to use them!!! If you dont like how mcdonalds dips their burgers in fat and fake burger juice to enhance the taste, You dont have to eat there!!! Isnt america great ? You dont have to use Facebook!
I just covered my camera, under no circumstances am I interested in allowing my facial scan to be held by facebook or anyone else. Do people not realise the long term implications of a data base like this, your privacy is gone.
Idiot. It recognises you through uploaded photos
Wait, does it really select randomly floating pictures and suggest them to random friends? Or is does this just refer to suggesting tags on pictures that friends upload? This article implies the former, which would be quite disturbing, but are we sure it’s not just the latter? If it’s just suggesting my name when friends upload photos of me, I’m OK with that (though I certainly wouldn’t fault anyone for disagreeing), but I certainly wouldn’t want every photo I happen to be in the background of being suggested to anyone who knows me.
Face***k simply doesn’t get it. They push new apps and features on their users without their permission or knowledge, yet claim to keep their users’ privacy in their best interests.
How about…oh, you know…INFORMING your users when a new feature or app is about to be released, then get their feedback on what they like or don’t like about it. So far, I’ve had to reset my privacy setting a minimum of 10 times just in the last few months alone because Face***k pushed something on everyone that they didn’t like.
I know, I know…that would make far too much sense if they actually had any semblance of customer service…
Instant Personalisation was enabled for me (in Australia) very recently as well, previously it said it was not available in my region.
Also was enabled by default (opt-out).
I think Maex has it right, I think we should treat it as a type of Internet Etiquette where tagging is regarded as "uncool".
Friends don't tag friends photos.
Wolfie!
I'm going to help facebook identify my face with a HD version of it
Eric Schmidt said 'If you do something you wouldn't like others to know about, perhaps you shouldn't be doing it'
Usage of social networking sites equals sharing your personal data. If you don't want to loose privacy, don't use social media. Easy, isn't it 🙂
Never had or will have a facebook account 🙂
Has no-one else noticed that the security option only prevents FB from recommending the tag to friends, It doesn't stop them looking through your images and using the facial ID technology anyway for their own means. Especially as the T&Cs state that any images you upload or are uploaded give FB full rights to the image to do with as they like.
RTFM
Okay what am I missing here?
You upload your photos to a system with half a billion users on it, you tag yourself and others on it, you share these photos about on that system to users who's privacy settings and priorities are different from your own and that is all fine and dandy?
But the instant Facebook uses a facial recognition technology, that simply looks at your already published photos then uses them as a basis for further tagging of newly uploaded photos, that is an invasion of privacy!?
Its an application that looks at your photos and does a compare that's all… I'm sure people can dream up all manner of nefarious ways of abusing this technology, but that, in itself, is only relevant if you, as a user, aren't already sharing hundreds of photos of yourself willingly on an open public network! You don't need conspiracy theories of facial recognition programs knocking up false ID's of you or identity theft of any kind, when everyone is willingly throwing their photos up for all to see in the first place.
Hell just signing up to post this comment, you've willingly given away your email address and / or your Twitter / WordPress account names. I doubt a program that can spot you in a crowd of friends on a photo you're already sharing out is actually any worse.
Right, you all realize that Facebook has an option that prevents ANYONE from tagging you in a picture right? It is in your privacy settings. If you don’t want to be tagged in a picture, you can prevent it from EVER happening. Contrary to what the author states, you don’t have to stare at your newsfeed all day waiting to untag yourself. However, there is no provision in Facebook that prevents any user from uploading your picture and labeling it with your name. The picture however, if your privacy settings so dictate, will not be linked back to you. This is NO different than someone seeing you in a public park, snapping a picture if you, uploading it to their website and slapping your name underneath.
Just my 2 cents
Storm in a tea cup. It's a useful tool, and one that I've had access to in the UK since at least last November when I upload photos from a charity expedition – it saved me having to manual tag the vast majority of over 1000 photos containing up to 50 people in them.
If you were so concerned about this why the article now? Or just a slow news day?
I want mine enabled but i don't know how to it
I'd like to see mine enabled too, I guess I'll have to wait.
I checked the settings and since I already have photos as visible by friends only the enabled photo tag recognition will only suggest tagging to "friends only" – I am okay with that – so why publish that it is everywhere when it really isn't – should research and understand Facebook privacy polices better so your articles are more accurate – I was misled here – thank you.
http://newsthisweek.org/2011/06/08/once-again-fac…
This can be another privacy issue for facebook
because you don't use a real image of yourself as a profile picture (I am using a self created manga face). As soon as your friends start tagging you in images, Facebook will learn how you look
Facebook is getting f**king creepy
Wow, seriously? If you're really that paranoid why do you have a Facebook account at all? Nobody's forcing you.
For that matter, if someone knows you well enough to have pictures of you why do you have a problem with them tagging them? Why not just ask your friends not to tag you in their photographs?
This is all a bit over the top because the facial recognition software actually isn’t that good. It only guesses that about half the photos of the same person in a particular album might be the same and then it does not know who it is so you have to do it manually. I think we might begin to worry if the software improves!
Aside from the fact that this seems to me to be an incredibly minor intrusion at best, I once again find myself amazed at the uproar such features cause. If you don’t feel comfortable with Facebook sharing your information, don’t give them your information. Or don’t use Facebook at all.
I am sure it is actually in FB terms that you are only allowed to tag someone when they have given their consent…?
Hundreds of new and useless options and FB never gave the users a lousy dislike button-it's what everyone wants and expects(hundreds of likes liked by at least 5k ppl about the dislike button and how they want it)…
Has any watchdog group tallied the incidents.where users privacy settings went from fewer people to more vs more people to fewer? I think the ratio would be very revealing.
See what Wikipedia has to say on face recognition, especially Notable uses and deployments and Additional Uses. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facial_recognition_s…
BTW: U.S. Department of State operates one of the largest face recognition systems in the world with over 75 million photographs that is actively used …
I’m English. We spell it with an ‘s’ 🙂
Utterly meaningless feature
People can tag you regardless of facebook recognising you. Why should you have privacy concerns in regard to people you have explicitly accepted as a friend?
Thanks for this great advice and easy to follow instructions. I have disabled it too. I find Facebook really annoying the way they make the default the most 'open' option.
Deleting your Facebook account doesn't actually do anything either. All the data you had is saved on their servers for whatever they want to do with it basically.
Like if you uploaded a bunch of photos, someone else uses it as their profile picture and you then delete it from your album, it still exists. All that's happened is that it no longer shows in your album, but it's never actually deleted at all.
And Facebook is allowed to gather information from outside sources, meaning that if you've been on Facebook once and "removed" your account, they can still gather information on you as they like, and there's little you can do about it.
well, that's pretty much the way it is on the internet period. Once a picture is uploaded to the internet anywhere it's practically on the internet forever. Unless it doesn't get cached and caught by someone else.
you people are so paranoid if you just have a lot of complaints about facebook just delete your account
I think the reason many FB users get so worried about things like this is because the majority of their connections, their 'friends' are not actually friends but acquaintances, big difference. People they went to high school or college with, someone they might've worked with at some point, dated years ago, knew from wherever. By connecting with these people they connect these people with their family, present day co workers, job contacts and finally their few actual friends through themselves – unless they turn on every privacy setting possible which basically makes the site useless. It's like a spider web that lumps everyone and everything together from one person.
Really, it all comes down to how private or rather, cautious, a person you are. I'm extremely cautious in situations where I know anyone can look in and see personal info. In person I'm rather forth coming, but I've always been cautious on the internet. I indulge very little personal information. To many it's obviously no problem. Well, to each their own. As for the data mining and Feds, Google etc gathering every bit of info that ever reaches the web on people – well that's just common sense – and if you are a general user (not someone with hyper stealth skills who knows about all those proxy thingamajigs etc) of the internet, that info is already known by them.
Maybe if people limited their “Friends” to actual friends they would not need tagging at all. I did not think it was a good idea in the first place and I know very well what my friends and family look like and do not need help to recognize them. The issue is really the fact that Facebook does not provide these updates as options to chose but as features that have to be shut off. I realize we use the software free but he is making a fortune because of his users. Without us no company would give him advertising dollars. He needs us or the ads will be pulled.
I spent nearly 20 years in software development and Facebook is one of the worst pieces of trash I have ever seen. It is simply not done to keep making changes without finding out if the user wants or needs it. It is not done to put out an upgrade without testing it to make sure it is not breaking other parts of the software. There are more bugs in this thing than an ant hill. It is an exercise in deep frustration to locate a way to report bugs and the means changes all the time. I cannot determine if the creator has no actual training in software design and development or if he just likes to play around at our expense. Probably both. He clearly has an overweening sense of self-importance. I guess he models himself on Jobs and not Gates.
Why use it? While I am comfortable learning how to use new software and enjoy setting it up to see how it works my family and friends are barely tech literate. It took a lot to get them to use Facebook and I do not want to lose my contacts. It was not the piece of constantly changing trash when I started to use it that it is to day.
thanks for the tip; i had actually disabled it before but like so many other "privacy settings" when another feature got rolled out it defaulted back to enabled and i wasn't aware. 🙂
now what i'm interested in is HOW TO DISABLE PEOPLE BEING ABLE TO ADD ME TO GROUPS WITHOUT MY PERMISSION…..grr (sad face). i can disable being suggested for tags, i can disable being checked into places by others…but i can't keep myself from beign added to groups in which i have no interest in being a member?? think about it – all it takes is for one angry, vindictive person to add you to a group called "Child Molesters Anonymous" or "Crack Cocaine is GREAT" – no matter how quickly you remove yourself or Facebook shuts it down – and for one of your friends to see that you're now a member of the group. bad news all around.
In September 2010, Canada's privacy watchdog ruled Facebook has made enough changes over the past year to bring the social media giant in line with Canadian privacy law.
http://www.globalnews.ca/Facebook+facial+recognit…
Good to Know!! Maintaining a safe FACEBOOK page is very important.
Well, uh, gosh, people. It _IS_ Facebook. You know, F A C E Book? With faces? People’s faces? Maybe you should join CommBoxBook instead. Cheese and crackers.
Last week I disabled the "Suggest photos of me to friends".
However, a friend reported to me last night that Facebook suggested my name to tag on several photos of me.
Hence, it does not seem that the disable feature is actually working
I don’t care if the new feature is beneficial for users or not. But at least, they should let PEOPLE KNOW!
I just changed my privacy setting as well.
You people are not very smart to use Facebook anyway. Giving up all of your private thoughts and joining in some selfish social admiration display like rats in a little cage.
You link yourself to people for popularity missions and their bad character is now tied to you. The government doesn't need to make a database of you – you are doing it for them, tying in everyone you talk to or will tolerate the actions of (like drug users).
Every breach of privacy you moan but continue to use it because your friends do. Those are called followers and sheeple. Social Media is a way to make you comfortable and be sold to, keep going to work and making money chasing that dream while photoshopping your images.
Change all the settings you want, it doesn't change the fact that you are generating a succinct link and interests wheel about you that will be used in marketing and tracking if needed. Dopey, dopey, netizens.
This confirms that FB is scanning every picture uploaded. I am quite sure they are storing everything on each one of us. This also strengthens the argument that FB is a gov't run spying operation.
well guess what? they changed it again, a new crappier profile has been rolled out yesterday!
http://www.vectorash.ro/facebook-new-crap-profile…