Facebook users in Europe will not get access to the company’s latest app Moments due to privacy concerns regarding its facial-recognition technology.
Moments is powered by artificial intelligence (AI) that can scan photos from iOS and Android devices and matche them to users’ Facebook friends, allowing them to privately share the photos with specific friends.
According to the Irish data regulator, users must be given an option to choose the app with an opt-in, but Facebook reportedly has no plans to introduce any such feature in the near future.
Facebook has been deeply involved with facial recognition technology, with its DeepFace AI system capable of identifying users with a 97.25% level of accuracy.
However, European and Canadian regulators have expressed concerns regarding the technology, forcing social media platforms to roll back the feature in order to satisfy the regulators.
BBC cited privacy commissioner of Canada as saying then: "Of significant privacy concern is the fact that Facebook has the ability to combine facial biometric data with extensive information about users, including biographic data, location data, and associations with friends."
Previously, the company also came under fire, when Belgian data protection watchdog accused the social media giant of tracking internet activity outside its site.
