全球用戶超過10億人次的臉書，正考慮將多數用戶的大頭照納入公司日益成長的臉部辨識資料庫中，擴大這個在社群媒體中飽受爭議的科技。

臉書在29日公布更新版資料使用政策時提到這個可能的作法，表示此舉是為了改善「標籤建議」功能。此功能利用臉部辨識技術，在用戶上傳相片後加快用戶標註或「標籤」出相片中朋友或熟人的速度。

▲德國柏林一幅繪有臉書創辦人祖克柏和著名小說《1984》的塗鴉創作，圖攝於2012年6月3日。（圖／Victorgrigas攝　來源／維基共享資源）

目前，這項技術能比較新上傳照片中的面孔與過去標籤過的面孔，自動辨識出相片中人物的身分。臉書用戶的照片被上傳至網站並被其他人標籤時，本人可選擇移除標籤。

臉書隱私政策負責人艾根表示，將用戶大頭照納入臉部辨識系統後，系統能更輕易的辨識出上傳照片中是否出現本人，加強使用者對自己個資的控管。

「我們的目標是加強標籤功能，這麼一來只要一有用戶的照片上傳至我們網站上，他們立刻就能得知。」艾根說。

她強調，不喜歡臉部辨識技術的用戶，仍能選擇完全關閉標籤建議功能，這麼一來，公開的用戶大頭照就不會被納入臉部辨識資料庫。

▲一名男子站在臉書標誌前的剪影，圖攝於2013年8月14日。（圖／路透）

對科技公司來說，臉部辨識科技一向是很敏感的議題，引發部分隱私權倡議人士和政府官員的擔憂。在歐洲，臉書於2011年引進的標籤建議功能並未施行，因為當地規範制定者對此提出許多顧慮。

谷歌的社群網路Google 也有運用類似技術，但它在使用前徵詢使用者同意。同時，在那些為谷歌眼鏡設計的應用程式中，它也禁止第三方軟體開發者運用臉部辨識技術。

艾根說，儘管臉書並未將臉部辨識技術運用在任何其他功能上，這點未來有可能改變：「我能說，我們未來決不會將臉部辨識技術用於其他目的嗎？絕對辦不到。」但她提到：「若我們決定要將之用於其他功能上，一定會向大眾公開，也會持續對此控管。」

在美國政府電子監控計畫曝光後，臉書和其他網路企業隱私規範受到嚴密檢視，而艾根所說的改變很可能會發生。

臉書、谷歌和其他公司堅持，他們從未參與任何會讓政府直接進入他們電腦伺服器的計畫，只會在某些特定要求下，經過仔細檢視並受到法律要求後，才會提供資訊。

而在美國情報部門前僱員史諾登指出，幾乎所有主要網路公司（包括臉書、谷歌和微軟）常態性提供給國家情報單位可能多達數百萬使用者的寶貴資料後，臉書27日首度公布一份全球政府索取資料報告。

▲紐約一場支持史諾登的抗議中，一名女性拿著標語，寫著「這些工具落入政府手中後，是否成為監視我們的工具」，圖攝於2013年6月19日。（圖文／路透）

臉書在報告書中表示，各地政府在2013上半年向臉書索取了逾3萬8千位使用者的資料，而臉書同意了大部分的要求。

根據臉書公布的數據，美國執法單位是目前索取臉書個資最積極的國家，在1月到6月間索取了約2萬至2萬1千名使用者的資料，稍微高於2012年6至12月的數據，當時美國政府索取了1萬8千人至1萬9千個帳號的資料。

臉書2日承認，他們同意了至少80％要求的內容。

臉書表示未來將定期公開這些資訊。而在其他網路公司中，谷歌和推特已定期公布類似資訊達數年之久。（路透）

Facebook Inc is considering incorporating most of its 1 billion-plus members' profile photos into its growing facial recognition（1） database, expanding the scope of the social network's controversial technology.

The possible move, which Facebook revealed in an update to its data use policy on Thursday, is intended to improve the performance of its "Tag Suggest" feature. The feature uses facial recognition technology to speed up the process of labeling or "tagging" friends and acquaintances who appear in photos posted on the network.

The technology currently automatically identifies faces in newly uploaded photos by comparing them only to previous snapshots in which users were tagged. Facebook users can choose to remove tags identifying them in photos posted by others on the site.

Facebook Chief Privacy Officer Erin Egan said that adding members' public profile photos would give users better control over their personal information, by making it easier to identify posted photos in which they appear.

"Our goal is to facilitate tagging so that people know when there are photos of them on our service," Egan said.

She stressed that Facebook users uncomfortable with facial recognition technology will still be able to "opt out（2）" of the Tag Suggest feature altogether, in which case the person's public profile photo would not be included in the facial recognition database.

Facial recognition technology has been a sensitive issue for technology companies, raising concerns among some privacy advocates and government officials. Tag Suggest, which the company introduced in 2011, is not available in Europe due to concerns raised by regulators there.

Google's social network, Google , also employs similar technology, but requires user consent. And it has banned third-party software makers from using facial recognition technology in apps designed for its Glass wearable computer.

Egan said Facebook was not currently using facial recognition technology for any other features, but that could change. "Can I say that we will never use facial recognition technology for any other purposes? Absolutely not," Egan said. But, she noted, "if we decided to use it in different ways we will continue to provide people transparency about that and we will continue to provide control."

The changes would come at a time when Facebook and other Internet companies' privacy practices are under scrutiny（3）, following the revelations of a U.S. government electronic surveillance（4） program.

Facebook, Google Inc and other companies have insisted that they have never participated in any program giving the government direct access to their computer servers and that they only provide information in response to specific requests, after careful review and as required by law.

The "Global Government Requests Report" follows allegations by former intelligence contractor Edward Snowden that practically every major Internet company - including Facebook, Google Inc and Microsoft Corp - routinely hands over troves of data on potentially millions of users to national intelligence agencies.

Governments sought information on over 38,000 Facebook users in the first half of 2013 and Facebook complied（5） with most requests, the firm said in its report.

U.S. law enforcement authorities were by far the most active in mining Facebook, seeking information on about 20,000 to 21,000 users between January and June. That represents a slight rise from the six months between June and December 2012, when U.S. agencies requested information on roughly 18,000 to 19,000 Facebook accounts, according to figures released by the company.

Facebook has at least partially complied to about 80 percent of those requests, the company acknowledged on Tuesday.

Facebook said it would begin to publish information on data requests on a regular basis. Google and Twitter, among other companies, have periodically released similar information for several years.（Reuters）

1.recognition （n.）辨識

2.opt out（v.）選擇退出

3.scrutiny（n.）仔細檢視

4.surveillance（n.）監視

5.comply（v.）遵從