Facebook has finally introduced the long-awaited changes to its user functionality which helping users to avoid being tagged in undesirable photos. With this step, Facebook is close at Google+’s heels.

The changes will allow Facebook users to see who can view content on their profile page, and approve any images they are tagged in before it is visible to their friends, as explained the vice president of product, Chris Cox in his post on Facebook. He claimed that users will now be able to command who among their friends list can see their postings. It will allow users to create smaller groups of people from their main friends list.

The function is similar to Google+’s Circles feature, which allows a user to manage their contacts adding them to various lists, or ‘Circles’.

Users won’t be able to delete the photos posted by another user they don’t like , but they will be able to suggest other user that it should be removed in a quick and appropriate way. It’s a kind of turnabout for Facebook, which previously encouraged users to share the more the better.

Since the launch of Google+, Facebook has been seriously involved into improving its platform to stay the top social one. A week after Google+ launched with group video calls, Facebook announced a partnership with Skype to introduce video calling on the site.

According to the WSJ, Google spokeswoman said in a statement: «We welcome Facebook’s efforts to give users more control over their privacy because it helps to improve the overall web experience. With Google+ we’re creating a new and different approach to make sharing on the Web more like sharing in the real world.»

Facebook also introduced instant group mobile messaging earlier this month. The similar feature Google+ rolled out at the end of June.