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When you take a photo using a device such as a smartphone or a social media app, your location is tracked as part of information about that photo. Without strict privacy settings, locations tagged in your photos or posts can be shared publicly, and this lets others know your location and the location of those who are with you. If you don't want your location revealed when taking photos, you can turn this setting off on your devices and social media profiles.
Facial recognition software uses photos you have been tagged in to calculate a ‘template’. This template is based on your facial features, like the distance between the eyes, nose and ears.
Sites like Facebook use facial recognition software to help you tag photos by automatically tagging you or your friends in photos and suggesting tags of your friends. Only those who have been tagged in a photo have a template and if a photo is untagged, the photo is no longer used to determine your template.