App removes faces from Facebook

A facial recognition app built on Australian-designed technology proposes to warn users when their photos appear on social networks, allowing them to track down unauthorised or unwanted photos from the sites.

The CeeQ Facebook app was designed to help users find photos they appear in on Facebook.

Though most networks allow some form of 'tagging' of people in photos, the app would warn users about photos they feature in, regardless of them being tagged.

The app trawled through photos in a users' network before offering to adjust tagging or issue take-down requests.

CeeQ uses sophisticated facial recognition technology developed by National ICT Australia (NICTA) under the $5 million-plus Advanced Surveillance biometric project completed last year.

"It's designed to help users find photos they are in so they can contact the owners or Facebook to get them taken down," Abbas Bigdeli, creator of the application and a lead developer at Advanced Surveillance, told SC at the Biometrics Institute conference.

Bigdeli last week pitched the application to Facebook to help raise capital. If the social network giant bites, it may mean the app would not be released for rival social networks.

Users can download a free copy of the application by registering on Bigdeli's website.

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