• by Wendy Davis , Staff Writer @wendyndavis, February 6, 2012

The ability to automatically connect faces to names has long captured the imagination of many people, not to mention corporations. Facebook already uses facial recognition technology -- though so far only to allow people to automatically tag their friends in photos.

Marketers by and large aren't yet using similar technology, but there's little doubt that many welcome the prospect. Not surprisingly, privacy advocates aren't thrilled by the idea, given that widespread use of facial recognition software could so easily result in the loss of anonymity for many people.

The advocacy group Consumers Union last week asked the Federal Trade Commission to set some ground rules aimed at giving people the chance to preserve their anonymity. "No clear standards currently exist for the use of facial identification software, which could allow industry to simply make up rules as they go along," Consumers Union says in comments filed last week with the FTC.

Specifically, the group argues that companies shouldn't use facial recognition software without people's explicit consent."Consumers should always be able to expressly opt in when the use of facial recognition technology is involved. The privacy risks surrounding facial recognition software are significant, and many consumers are likely to be uncomfortable with the use of this type of technology," the group wrote.

"In case of digital ads equipped with facial detection technology, companies should place a prominent notice in the vicinity of the ad, or at the entrance to a mall or supermarket that employs such ads."