Facebook is testing an algorithm that can recognize people in photos even when their faces are hidden, New Scientist reports.
The system uses other cues such as hair, clothing and the shape of people s bodies. The test involved about 40,000 public images on Flickr, and the algorithm recognized individuals in the photos with 83 percent accuracy.
This might sound like a privacy nightmare. But according to New Scientist, Facebook head of artificial intelligence Yann LeCun pointed out that the tool could also help alert people when their photos are posted on the Internet.
The system could one day be used for Moments, Facebook s new photo-sharing app that uses facial recognition to automatically group images. Using Moments, those images can then be shared privately with friends instead of posted on Facebook. Moments, which was released last week, has its own share of privacy concerns — which is why it hasn t rolled out in Europe.
Speaking of Facebook and Europe, a report released Monday by eMarketer says the privacy investigations into the social network s data practices in Germany, Belgium, Spain, Italy and elsewhere could have a substantial effect on the company s ad business in that region. What s more, the countries policies differ, so Facebook may be able to roll out ad targeting in some places but not others. (HT Wall Street Journal.)
Photo from AFP/Getty Images
