Creepy Facial Recognition Software and Job Searching: Be Vigilant

NameTag, a new facial recognition software, extracts and shares personal information from dating sites, social media profiles and criminal registries via image search.

This means that any information that has been made public – Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+, Instagram, Plenty of Fish, Ok Cupid, Match, Pinterest, National Sex Offender Registry (US) – could be considered fair game and available to online searchers.

Simply stated, this means anyone could snap a photo of you, upload it to their computer, and find your personal details online. Users could also copy a photo from a dating site and paste it into the app’s site to conduct an image search – similar to what you can do with a Google image search. Currently, the software is only available to Google Glass users; however, a smartphone app is in the works and will be available shortly via the App Store and Google Play.

What Does this Mean to Job Searchers?

Remember, where job seekers go, employers follow and facial recognition software like NameTag has the potential to affect your chances of getting a job.

Software developments such as these serve as good reminders to check our online profiles and digital footprint. Take a moment and search for yourself online. Are you satisfied with the results? Here are some tips on how to manage your online presence:

1. LinkedIn is considered the business network of choice. You should make your profile publicly accessible and include relevant key words. Don’t add your personal phone number to LinkedIn. If you’re profile is currently listed on your firm’s website, feel free to share similar information. Always remember to use your personal email address on LinkedIn as you will always have access to it.

2. Unlike LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter are considered a personal social media profiles. A 2009 study indicated that 45% of employers search these accounts and that number is likely to grow. Although Facebook and Twitter have excellent privacy settings, a good rule of thumb is to not share anything you wouldn’t mind the whole world seeing. Imagine you’re posting the information on the lunchroom wall at work – if you wouldn’t do it, don’t post it as a status update either! The same rules apply to all other social networks including Pinterest, Google+, etc.

3. If you don’t want to be searchable on NameTag’s service, you need to opt out of the service. According to The Star, creating a NameTag profile is the only way to control sensitive information. For example, if you’ve made your phone number public anywhere online, it might be available if you don’t opt out.

We will continue to monitor NameTag’s service as well as others to keep you up-to-date on social media best practices for job searchers.

via Business 2 Community http://www.business2community.com/human-resources/creepy-facial-recognition-software-job-searching-vigilant-0741128?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=creepy-facial-recognition-software-job-searching-vigilant