WASHINGTON, D.C.— Chairman John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV today commended the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for releasing a staff report, which he requested in October 2011, on facial recognition technologies and what they mean for consumers.

“Facial recognition technologies can have obvious benefits for consumers but also pose serious privacy concerns – especially online,” said Rockefeller. “The FTC report highlights these potential dangers, such as specifically recognizing and tagging otherwise anonymous people in photographs, and gives companies practical advice on how to use facial recognition technologies.  I hope companies will heed this advice and implement best practices that place a premium on consumer privacy, especially protecting the basic privacy of individuals who haven’t even consented to the company’s use of facial recognition. As Chairman of the Commerce Committee, I fully intend to monitor how facial recognition technologies are increasingly adopted and used as a commercial practice.”

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