Facebook Moments Causes More Trouble with European Regulators
 |
| slashgear.com |
Moments, an app which uses facial recognition to help users organise all their mobile pictures into group albums, will not be available in Europe until some sort of agreement is reached. The issue seems to be that Moments doesn't have any kind of opt-in mechanism.
This isn't the first time facial recognition technology has been blocked by European regulators, Google are having the same issue with their Photos app and Facebook faced similar opposition in 2012 when they tried to better integrate the technology into the main site.
The US has generally been pretty accepting of facial recognition but many EU privacy laws directly oppose this kind of thing and exceptions are unlikely to be made on Facebook's account. The issue could be softened if Facebook did actually bring in an opt-in feature so that users could consent to their faces being tagged whenever they pop up, but the blue giants have no forward plans to introduce anything of the sort. It might be an issue of time or they might just be being stubborn, but in either case, Moments won't be turning up on European soil any time soon.
It's not only Europe that take issue with this, Canada have pushed back against facial recognition tech as well, citing the way Facebook takes facial data and combines it with everything else as the key issue. It's a pretty major catch-22, Facebook seem dead set on using recognition, location and historical data to advance their platform. That's all well and good but the more they move in that direction, the more privacy laws will threaten to trip them up.
Callum Davies
Callum is a film school graduate who is now making a name for himself as a journalist and content writer. His vices include flat whites and 90s hip-hop. Follow him @CallumAtSMF
Facebook Moments Causes More Trouble with European Regulators
Reviewed by Unknown
on
Monday, June 22, 2015
Rating:
Reviewed by Unknown
on
Monday, June 22, 2015
Rating:
Unknown
Keeping you up to date on social media, digital marketing, apps, news & reviews. Social media, and digital marketing as a whole, are rapidly and constantly changing, adapting to new developments at an ever increasing rate. Just keeping up to date can be a nightmare. Our team of writers know their field, and keep an ear to the ground. We aim to keep you informed of all recent developments in the online world, and teach you a little something along the way. So whether you just want to stay connected, or gain some knowledge for yourself, the Social Songbird will keep on singing! More articles are posted every day so keep checking back! Join the discussion on Twitter - #SocialSongbird Or contact us directly - @SocialSongbird_
Entrepreneur, international speaker on Social Media Marketing. First one in the UK to write and speak in conferences about Twitter as a marketing tool. Consultant to Corporate Companies, Government Organizations, Marketing Managers and Business Owners.
Aspiring novelist with a passion for fantasy and crime thrillers. He hopes to one day drop that 'aspiring' prefix. He started as a writer and soon after he was made Executive Editor and Manager of the team at Social Songbird. A position he held for 5 years.
Adrienne is a passionate writer with experience in editing, content creation, and social media marketing. She’s a lover of animals, helping others improve their writing, and 2000s pop culture.
Musician, audio technician, professional tutor and a Cambridge university English student. Interested in writing, politics and obsessed with reading.
Recently graduated with a BA in English Literature from the University of Exeter, and he is about to study an MA in Journalism at the University of Sheffield. He is an aspiring journalist and novelist; in his free time he enjoys playing chess, listening to music and taking long walks through nature.
Lucy is an undergraduate BSc Politics and International Relations student at the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Anna Coopey is a 4th year UG student in Classics at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. She is a keen writer and researcher on a number of topics, varying from Modern Greek literature to revolutionary theory.
Ellie is a recent BA English Literature graduate and aspiring publisher with a passion for writing. Her favourite pastimes include reading and shopping.