The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has released a report called “Facing Facts: Best Practices for Common Uses of Facial Recognition Technologies.” Geared toward companies using facial recognition, it aims to help these users protect consumers’ privacy as the technology is implemented.

While facial technology is used for a number of reasons, it also brings up a variety of privacy concerns with regards to identifying anonymous people in public settings, as well as the possibility of hackers getting to the data.

Since the technology is still relatively new in the marketplace, the FTC saw an opportunity to educate companies on their use of facial recognition. It recommends companies design their services while focusing on end-user privacy and develop security measures for the collection and disposal of personal information. The FTC also recommends companies think of their audience when using facial recognition technology, particularly in terms of gathering information on minors and being upfront about the use of such technology.

The FTC has published this report on its website. It does not intend for the best practices it writes about to serve as a template for legal action.

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