Last year Facebook implemented a new feature for North American users that uses facial recognition software to “help” your Facebook friends tag you in their photos. If you have this option enabled, any time one of your friends uploads a photo, Facebook will “suggest” you as a match based on the recommendations of the software.
It is important to note that your photo will only appear as a suggestion to your friends only. Facebook will not recommend you as a match to someone not on your friends list. Some people may still find this a little unnerving and may not want to be recommended or tagged in photos at all. Sadly, you don’t have a choice in the matter of photo tagging. Facebook allows your friends to tag you in photos, and there is no way to disable this. You must manually un-tag yourself in any unflattering photos. However, you do have a choice in whether you want to have the facial recognition feature enabled or disabled. Not surprisingly, it is enabled by default. If you want to opt-out of this feature, then follow the steps below:
You need to access your ’Privacy Settings‘ located in the top right corner of your Facebook page.
Now scroll down to ’Timeline and Tagging‘ and click the ‘Edit Settings‘ link.
Set the ‘Who sees tag suggestions when photos that look like you are uploaded?” toNo One.
This feature still may not be available for all users, but now would be a great time to check – especially if you do not want this enabled on your Facebook account.
You can also visit the following Facebook Help Center topic to further protect your privacy regarding this issue:
How can I remove the summary information stored about me for tag suggestions?
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Recommended Resources
DoNotTrackMe protects your privacy by blocking online tracking. Abine – Online Privacy Starts Here.
BitDefender Safego is a Facebook application you can install that will scan your News Feed and help keep you safe from scams on Facebook.
PRIVATE WiFi® is a Personal VPN that encrypts everything you send and receive. Don’t access Facebook from a public WiFi hotspot without it.
Action Alert | Free Parental Control offers a 100% free Internet safety solution designed for parents. There is also a Maximum Protection option for parents that need a more advanced set of tools.
