Worried that someone is going to steal your Facebook profile photo and do all kinds of bad things with it? The social network wants to give you some peace of mind.
Facebook on Wednesday announced it has begun testing new tools in India to give privacy-conscious individuals more control over who can download and share their profile photos. The company said it hopes to expand the tools to other countries in the future, depending on what it learns from this pilot in India.
In a blog post, Facebook Product Manager Aarati Soman pointed out that profile photos are important because they help people find friends, but said not everyone feels safe adding one.
"In our research with people and safety organizations in India, we've heard that some women choose not to share profile pictures that include their faces anywhere on the Internet because they're concerned about what may happen to their photos," Soman wrote.
So now, if you live in India, you'll have the option to add a "profile picture guard," which will prevent other people from being able to download, share, or send your image in a message on Facebook. The guard will also prevent people from being able to take a screenshot of your profile photo on an Android device. Plus, randoms you're not even friends with on Facebook won't be able to tag anyone, including themselves, in the image. Finally, when you have this guard up, Facebook will display a blue border and shield around your profile photo as a "visual cue of protection," Soman wrote.
Meanwhile, Facebook is also exploring ways to let people more easily add designs to their profile pictures, which it says could be helpful in deterring misuse.
Related
- After Murder, Facebook to Hire 3K to Review VideosAfter Murder, Facebook to Hire 3K to Review Videos
"Based on preliminary tests, we've learned that when someone adds an extra design layer to their profile picture, other people are at least 75 percent less likely to copy that picture," Soman wrote.
The company has partnered with illustrator Jessica Singh, who created some designs, inspired by traditional Indian textiles, that people can now add to their profile photo.
"If someone suspects that a picture marked with one of these designs is being misused, they can report it to Facebook and we will use the design to help determine whether it should be removed from our community," she added.
Facebook is testing a feature called "profile picture guard," which prevents anyone from stealing your photo.
Smart people are more prone to silly mistakes because of blind spots in how they use logic.
No more having to visit five different sites to look for job listings: You can now just type 'jobs near me' into Google to see what's available in your area.
See how new furniture works in your home before spending hours assembling it.
The personal fundraisers feature first debuted in March, but Facebook is now making it accessible right from Safety Check.
Relax Facebook Testing Tools to Help People Lock Down Profile Photos stories
From Stanford to Carnegie Mellon, if you dream of working in tech, going to one of these schools could increase your chances.
No more having to visit five different sites to look for job listings: You can now just type 'jobs near me' into Google to see what's available in your area.
The Internet includes too many bottlenecks for Dropbox to rely on it for fast and reliable data storage and access.
The Guardian reports that the 'security lapse' affected more than 1,000 workers who use Facebook's content moderation software to remove terrorist propaganda.
The CIA reportedly had the capability to hack into dozens of Wi-Fi router models, even if they were protected by usernames and strong passwords.
The social network is leveraging AI, in partnership with human expertise, to keep content from groups like ISIS and Al Qaeda off the platform.
LifeStream lets people broadcast their candid daily lives online, 24/7, in exchange for cash and some other perks. No sex or nudity required.
The personal fundraisers feature first debuted in March, but Facebook is now making it accessible right from Safety Check.
He gave us what is arguably the most famous dumpster fire in the world. But why?
"Smart" homes these days means safe homes, in terms of security and health. The IoT opportunities are out there. Are you game?
For $35, Troll Cakes will turn your enemy's nasty internet comment into a custom cake and mail it to their home or work.
Compare your internet provider to those across Canada and see which one comes out ahead.
From high-tech (online videos) to no-tech (flyers and cold-calling), leave no stone unturned in your search for customers.
Constituent badges will help elected officials more easily identify comments from people who live in their district.
The new pilot platform connects Airbnb hosts with relief organizations that serve refugees, evacuees, and other people in need.
Here's another reminder to be careful what you do online.
A new visa application form requests social media handles, but not passwords, from some applicants.
A reprieve is on the horizon for rural customers who have no choice but to turn to slow, expensive satellite internet.
If you've been paying attention to what some of the most popular social media apps have been doing as of late, Highlights won't be a new concept.
Read very carefully before hitting the Like button on Facebook, it could land you in court.
In his Harvard commencement address, Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg reminisced about his intentions for starting the social network.
Google's advertisers will soon be able to measure the success of their online campaigns based on credit card transaction data from physical stores.
You may see a notice informing you about the recent privacy policy changes the next time you visit the microblogging service, if you haven't seen it already.
SAP's upgraded analytics toolset adds deeper predictive analytics and machine learning, along with new data visualization and app partnerships as well as Microsoft Surface Hub integration.
Facebook pushed back on the report, but also admitted its research didn't follow the 'established process to review the research we perform.'
The practice of intercepting messages between Americans and foreigners that mention a terrorism suspect will end.
In the US, most requests come from search warrants and other court orders, although some are made using secret "national security letters."
A lawsuit filed yesterday in the Southern District of New York claims that the Windows version of Confide doesn't offer screenshot protection.
A class-action lawsuit claims Bose secretly collects and records all content played through their Bose wireless headphones, and shares this data with third-parties without consent.
Your Timeline offers a 'daily snapshot' of the things you've done and the places you've been on a given day, month, or year.
The Morning After: Apple's misplaced paranoia and a Sega flashback.
Cameras need lenses, so your thin phone has a bump, but one day an ultra-thin optical phased array chip could change that.
Don't like Slack's constant pinging? Twist might be a viable alternative.
It costs nothing to take advantage of the limitless opportunities online.
The Atlas printer is designed to churn out parts up to one meter long, including entire engine blocks for automobiles.
If you want to get started with investing, you need to start reading these books.
Smart people are more prone to silly mistakes because of blind spots in how they use logic.
GE reveals plans for the 'world's largest' 3D printer that uses metal powders.
The new Snap Map has a 'ghost mode' that lets you browse a map of your friends' locations without sharing your own.
From Stanford to Carnegie Mellon, if you dream of working in tech, going to one of these schools could increase your chances.
