Facebook Sued for Facial Recognition Data Stash

A new class action suit brought against Facebook claims that the company has violated the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act, by collecting its members' biometric face recognition data without their prior written consent.

In 2010, Facebook rolled out an automatic photo tagging feature, which scans all pictures uploaded by users and identifies any Facebook friends they may want to tag. These photos are then held in what Cook County resident and lead plaintiff Carlo Licata describes as the 'world's largest database of consumer biometrics data'.

Licata claims that it is the 'secret' compilation of this database that breaches the Illinois law, which states that companies must obtain written permission from people before collecting 'face geometry' and other biometric data. This law also requires that companies notify people when they gather such information, and that they publish a schedule for destroying the material. While Facebook does provide a system to opt out of being automatically tagged, Licata argues that the facial recognition system does not meet the requirements of the Illinois law.

Facebook was forced to close down the facial recognition feature in Europe because of privacy concerns, and Licata is seeking a court injunction that would require Facebook to comply with the Illinois law. A Facebook spokesperson commented: 'This lawsuit is without merit and we will defend ourselves vigorously.'