Google's Photo ID Feature Calms Privacy Fears

Google has quietly launched a facial recognition service for Google+, but unlike Facebook's more intrusive photo ID feature, Google is earning praise from privacy experts for keeping Find My Face an opt-in feature, reports eWeek. Like Facebook's Tag Suggestions, which launched about a year ago, Find My Face examines photos on Google+ and tries to identify the people in them. "Google is not interested in making the same mistakes Facebook made," says an analyst.

Facebook received much criticism from privacy experts because its Tag Suggestions is automatically turned on, and it takes some work to opt out of the feature. Google likely has learned from its own privacy gaffes, too, such as Google Buzz, which could expose your Gmail contacts. Of course, just a few months ago Google CEO Eric Schmidt said Google would not get into facial recognition software at all, calling the technology "creepy." (More Google stories.)