Facebook boasts a sophisticated “facial-recognition” feature that’s capable of putting names to faces in any newly-uploaded photos. Amazing? Yes—but also a tad creepy.

The so-called “Tag Suggestions” feature (which was launched back in June 2011) won’t automatically tag you in a friend’s photo, but it may suggest your name as a tag to your snap-happy Facebook pals.

Don’t like that idea? Tweaking a key privacy setting will keep Facebook from ever suggesting your name as a tag in someone else’s snapshot.

Here’s how:

• Click the little downward arrow in the top-right corner of any Facebook page, then select Privacy Settings from the drop-down menu.
• Find the “Timeline and Tagging” section in the middle of the page, then click the nearby “Edit Settings” link.
• In the pop-up window that appears, click the “Who sees tag suggestions when photos that look like you are uploaded?” setting.
• You should now see a “Tag Suggestions” window with thumbnails of about a dozen of your friends. By default, the “Tag Suggestions” feature is set to “Friends”; just click the setting to toggle it to “No One,” then click the “OK” button.

Bonus tip

 
While switching off “Tag Suggestions” will keep Facebook from suggesting your name as a photo tag, it won’t prevent other Facebook users from tagging you in a picture by hand.

That said, you can at least get a chance to look at tagged photos of you before they pop up in your timeline.

The secret? Turning on Facebook’s “Timeline Review” feature. Here’s how.

Looking for more Facebook tips? Click here!

Note: This updated and revised tip was originally published in June 2011.