Facebook Gets More Problems With European Regulatory Agencies

Recently Facebook has been taken to court by Belgian authorities due to “privacy issues”. Now the new Facebook “Moments” app will not be available in Europe due to the same kind of concerns.

Regulatory agencies in Europe are concerned about the privacy practices of the U.S. corporation. This is now especially revolving around the new “Moments” app wich uses facial recognition in order to “help” users share private information with friends.

Facial recognitions is not seen as a help tool by many European institutions and citizens since it can easily breach privacy information, about locations and other data without express user consent.

The new Facebook app has been launched last week in the U.S but will not be available in Europe.

It is probable that without consent approval and new privacy agreements from Facobook towards it;s users, the app will never be launched in Europe.

European citizens as well as politicians also want an added options that  will allow users to choose when the facial recognition system is active.

Simply put , the app has to become optional and individually user accepted before Facebook can launched it in Europe without having to worry about pending law suits.

Facebook has been using Ireland’s less restrictive privacy laws in order to operate its European enterprises, by building their E.U. headquarters in Ireland. E.U. law states that a company can operate within the E.U. if it conforms to its headquarters nation privacy laws.

But this will not be enough to shield Facebook anymore if it launches n app that uses such controversial software in Europe, especially after then incidents between the company and Belgian authorities.

In relation with the company’s decision not to launch the” Moments” app in Europe, Richard Allan head of Facebook policy in Europe said that – “Regulators have told us we have to offer an opt-in choice to people.. We don’t have an opt-in mechanism so it is turned off until we develop one.”

The “Moments” app, uses facial recognition software in order to automatically tag your friends in your photos and software that allows album compilations of events in which you participated. The app works automatically and users currently have no detail control.

The app will be available on both iOS and Android.

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