So now Google wants to evolve the concept of its Google Goggles by adding facial recognition features. Point your phone at people and learn all about them through their Google Profile, or link out to their Facebook, Twitter or Flickr profiles. This sounds like good and bad news. Even Hartmut Neven, the Google guru in charge of image recognition, acknowledges the point.

In particular, women say, "Oh my God. Imagine this guy takes a picture of me in a bar, and then he knows my address just because somewhere on the Web there is an association of my address with my photo."

The solution is to make the system entirely opt in, catering to people who'd like to share their public information as easily and quickly as possible. Of course, jumping into issues of privacy isn't new to Google Maps Street View is still debated around the world. This new technology will be just one more the company has to explain, pointing out the advantages of shared information while reassuring people they still have some control over their anonymity.