Facebook is battling for the legal means to collect data of its users faces. A lawsuit on the matter proceeding in Illinois has only led to more aggressive lobbying to make sure other states can’t take similar actions.
Innocently allowing Facebook to recognize your face in photos for the tagging feature is allowing Facebook to store facial recognition data on the faces of its users. Facebook wants to decide how it will use that data beyond simply photo tagging. “Can I say that we will never use facial recognition technology for any other purposes? Absolutely not,” said Facebook Chief Privacy Officer Erin Egan, via Reuters.
Facebook’s fight to guard its data and its data collection methods have been fierce and backed with big money. Facebook spent $8.7 million to lobby the federal government, according to the Daily Beast. The lobbying efforts also include data security, and tax reform, and other topics relevant to Facebook’s interests.
Because of Facebook’s huge database of photos with faces of its large user base, its facial recognition data is the strongest. Other facial recognition programs, even those in government and in law enforcement, can’t compare. Legislators worry about the power this gives Facebook and the resulting cost to society by collecting this data.
