How Do You Feel About Facebook's Use of Facial-Recognition Technology?

Facebook can now be your friend without even knowing your name. The social media network has been using facial-recognition technology to make it easier to tag friends in photos, but the practice has now even made the government uneasy. As proof of its commitment to the ongoing use of this policy, Facebook recently acquired Face.com, an Israeli firm specializing in facial-recognition software.

According to Macworld, members of a U.S. Senate subcommittee held hearings on Wednesday about the social media’s use of this technology. Senators are suggesting that laws be adjusted to keep up with the use of facial-recognition technology in the private arena. Facebook uses the application to immediately recognize names to go with faces to suggest tagging when photos are uploaded. The feature makes it easier to spread the information out to other friends on the network.

Like most Facebook features, you can choose to "opt out" of this particular application. However, officials suggest that maybe it should rather be one you can choose to "opt in." Facebook representives, however, have said the whole Facebook experience offered is voluntary, so technically that choice was already made. Nobody is forcing anyone to use Facebook and therefore by doing so, you've already answered the "opt-in" question.

How do you feel Facebook’s use of facial recognition technology? Are you comfortable knowing that your Facebook experience is not just one where everybody knows your name – they also know your face?