Is Facebook’s “Faceprint Database” Illegal?

Facebook is the subject of a class-action lawsuit claiming that its “tag a friend” policy violates users’ privacy rights.

Facebook offers users the opportunity to tag photos on the site with their friends’ names. It does this with facial recognition software that compares biometric data in the photos with information stored in the company’s faceprint database.

The lead plaintiff in the case, Carlo Licata, contends this action violates the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act of 2008 because Facebook “actively conceals” what amounts to data mining in the tagging process. Further, Facebook “doesn’t disclose its wholesale biometrics data collection practices in its privacy policies, nor does it even ask users to acknowledge them,” according to the complaint.

Facebook’s facial recognition technology came from the Israeli company Face.com, which it later purchased.

http://www.allgov.com/news/controversies/is-facebooks-faceprint-database-illegal-150408?news=856179