Facebook will scan profiles for missing and abused children

Facebook's chief technology officer Bret Taylor said that the social network will start scanning user profiles for images of molested or missing children. The company will team up with Microsoft and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to use photo "fingerprint" technology to search for pictures matching those in the US organization's data base.

This announcement could very well mark a significant development in the online domain. Many companies that host websites or social platforms have consistently held they are not responsible for content uploaded by users. In a series of jurisprudence across the world, it has been established that, in most cases, it is unreasonable to ask a platform to moderate and scan all pages and uploads for illegal material or activities. The caselaw of RapidShare (not responsible for user generated content) and FTD (responsible because they had moderation on their usenet community) illustrate this.

It seems Facebook feels they have a duty in combating illegal activity on their platform, regardless of the question whether they are legally bound to do so. "We care deeply" about stopping abuse, Facebook officer Bret Taylor said while revealing the alliance during testimony at a US Senate Commerce Committee hearing in Washington on mobile phone and Internet privacy. Microsoft PhotoDNA technology used at search engine Bing and online file storage service SkyDrive will be put to work at the world's leading social network. With Facebook among the world's largest photo-sharing services, "their participation in the PhotoDNA program will significantly expand the program's impact," a spokesman for Microsoft added.

This initiative of self regulation by social media is something to keep an eye on. It may very well change opinio iuris on earlier caselaw that determined an online platform could not be expected to screen limitless amounts of data for illegal content, for example copyright infringing acts or pirated music. Furthermore, a second significant angle to this story has to do with everything Facebook did not discuss in the privacy hearing. Facebook essentially announce they are introducing face recognition techniques into their social network. Without doubt this software can assist the company to enhance their goldmine database of personal profiles. A capital that is now worth over 1.5 billion U.S. dollars.

Source: The Times of India