Facebook’s Facial Recognition Feature Can Tell Who You Are, Even If You’re Not Tagged In Photos

You’re probably used to getting an alert letting you know when you are tagged in a photo on Facebook. This features is great for checking out the snaps that were posted from girls’ night, and let’s be honest — it’s a good way to find out whether you need to un-tag an unflattering photo. Now Facebook is taking their photo abilities a step further by introducing a facial recognition feature that will alert users if a photo of them is posted, even if they are not tagged.

This way, you can be aware of all photos of yourself that are lurking on the site, and it also prevents someone from attempting to use your photos as their own — which can sometimes happen with scams and unscrupulous people on online dating sites.

This new setting is optional and if you have the current feature that suggests friends to tag in your photos, then you will automatically get these new alerts unless you opt out.

“You’re in control of your image on Facebook and can make choices such as whether to tag yourself, leave yourself untagged, or reach out to the person who posted the photo if you have concerns about it,” the company said in a statement.

In the same statement, the company also announced that they will utilize the facial recognition technology to improve accessibility of the site for those with visual impairments. Two years ago, Facebook launched an automatic alt-text tool, which describes photos for people who cannot see. Now, visually impaired users who use screen readers will know who appears in photos in their feed, even if those people are not tagged.

Facebook has been rolling out a new number of new features and improvements, including the “snooze” feature, which allows users to temporarily unfollow a person, group or page for a period of up to 30 days.