Google is flatly denying that it is pioneering a new facial recognition mobile app.
But sources close to Google say the Internet search giant isn’t being entirely forthcoming about the widely rumored project.
On Thursday, Google notified various media outlets saying that CNN reported “entirely false information on what they’re calling a Google Facial Recognition app.”
As Google informed SlashGear, any functionality like what CNN has reported on will not be implemented while Google’s privacy model for this sort of functionality is not in place.
A number of items “reported” in the story, such as a potential app connecting phone numbers, email addresses and other information with a person’s face, are purely speculative and are inventions of the reporter.”
Of course, Google didn’t deny that such an app will emerge once the privacy model is developed.
“We recognize that Google has to be extra careful when it comes to these [privacy] issues,” said Hartmut Neven, the Google engineering director for image-recognition development. Neven spoke with CNN in an exclusive interview.
“Face recognition,” Neven adds, “is something we will bring out once we have acceptable privacy models in place.”
To read the now controversial CNN report, click here.
