There’s a growing fear among social media users that their profile pictures could be swiped by a third party, and used for nefarious purposes. But that fear is more than a little valid. In fact, over in India, researchers found that women in particular are refusing to put their faces on their Facebook pages because their pictures ended up being swiped. What’s the big deal? They’re getting photoshopped to make them look bad or inappropriate.
Facebook’s now rolling out a way to combat this problem. Starting in India, users are going to start seeing a specific guide offering step-by-step instructions on how to protect themselves and their property – and a “picture guard.” When it’s accepted, no one will be able to copy their pictures and use them. In addition, protected pictures will have a blue border and shield to identify it as such. It seems like a no-brainer idea that should catch-on in no time.
And sure, this is starting in India, but if it catches on don’t be the least bit surprised if it carries over to the United States.