Facebook launches Profile Picture Guard for women safety, Kerala CM hails initiative

Facebook has introduced new tools in India that will allow users to protect their profile pictures from being downloaded and shared, a move that may help reduce misuse of images on the popular social networking site.

Profile pictures are an important part of building community on Facebook because they help people easily find friends make connections.

The new tools, developed in partnership with safety organisations, including Centre for Social Research and Learning Links Foundation in New Delhi, are designed to give people more control over their experience and help keep them safe online.

"We are piloting new tools that give people in India more control over who can download and share their profile pictures," Aarati Soman, Product Manager at Facebook, said in a blog post.

"In addition, we are exploring ways people can more easily add designs to profile pictures, which our research has shown helpful in deterring misuse," Soman said.

Praising the initiative to introduce new tools in India to protect profile pictures of users, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said this will ensure online safety for women.

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In a Facebook post, Vijayan said he appreciates Facebook's "excellent initiative" towards ensuring online safety in India, particularly for women.

Vijayan, who has been active on Facebook soon after he assumed the office of chief minister last year, also quoted FB-COO Sheryl Sandberg's words on the need to ensure online safety for women.

"I especially quote Fb-COO Sheryl Sandberg's words--We must do all we can to protect women online and off, because when you take care of women, you take care of society," he said in the FB post.

Users in India will start seeing a step-by-step guide to add an optional profile picture guard.

When this guard is added, users will no longer be able to download, share or send the profile picture in a message on Facebook.

(With inputs from agencies )