Your Face On Google

Rumors have recently started emerging that Google may be on the verge of releasing a mobile face recognition app to put faces to its many faceless users.

The app, which was first reported in a story by CNN, will allow a user to obtain a profile or other information about a person based on facial recognition. Hartmut Neven, the Google engineering director for image-recognition development, told CNN that people would first have to check a box granting permission to obtain profile data .

Privacy however, is a big concern with this app. As in the past, Google has been in trouble over privacy issues, with things such as Buzz and Street View.

According to CNN, Google has had the technological capability for years. Among other things, the facial-recognition app could become part of Google’s web crawler, relating facial photos publicly available on Facebook and other sites to additional information about a person found in various databases and other sites.

Privacy concerns are the major setback with this technology, instead of the technical or logistical reasons. However, the entire rumor is now being questioned due to the fact that Google is denying the story.