Nothing is sacred when it comes to social media. But Facebook seems to be trying to do its bit. The social media website has announced that it is working on some tool that will allow users in India to control who can download and share their profile pictures.
"In India, we've heard that people want more control over their profile pictures, and we've been working over the past year to understand how we can help," the report quoted Aarti Soman, Product Manager, Facebook.
Facebook is working with safety organisations like Centre for Social Research, Learning Links Foundation, Breakthrough and Youth Ki Awaaz to allow user to control and secure the information they share on their Facebook profiles.
"In our research with people and safety organisations in India, we have heard that some women choose not to share profile pictures that include their faces anywhere on the internet because they are concerned about what may happen to their photos," she added.
ALSO READ: Google launches new job-search engine; to show nearby jobs and commute times
The protected profile picture will have a blue border around it with a shield motif. Facebook will try to prevent screenshots too where it can, which is available only on Android devices for now.
"Other people will no longer be able to download, share or send your profile picture in a message on Facebook. People you are not friends with on Facebook won't be able to tag anyone, including themselves, in your profile picture," Soman was quoted saying in the IANS report.
This step will help with problems like identity theft or use a picture for malicious intent by criminals. These features will be launched on pilot basis in India and will be taken to other countries based on the response it gets here.
Adding a cosmetic aspect to this development, Facebook is also working on ways so that people could easily add designs to their profile pictures. According to Facebook research, changing the original features of the image discourages its misuse, reported IANS. Facebook has roped in illustrator Jessica Singh to create designs based on folk art styles of India that people can later add to their profile pictures.
Also watch: