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epa03362967 (FILE) A file photo dated 31 January 2012 showing a view of Facebook's new Corporate Headquarters in Menlo Park, California, USA. On 16 August 2012 Germany's data protection regulator has reopened its investigation into Facebook's facial recognition software, accusing the social networking giant of illegally storing member photos. The facial recognition feature asks users to identify their friends in photos uploaded to the site without having to obtain permission by those individuals who have been tagged in a picture. This has allowed the company to create a biometric database of members using their photos, a practice that Germany's Office of Data Protection and Freedom of Information says is illegal under European law. EPA/PETER DaSILVA *** Local Caption *** 00000403087462