What happened

Meta is expanding its use of facial recognition technology to combat scam ads and streamline account recovery on Facebook and Instagram.

The system aims to tackle “celeb-bait” scams, where fraudsters use celebrity images to promote bogus ads. Meta’s facial recognition will compare the faces in suspicious ads with the profile pictures of public figures. If a match is confirmed, the ad will be blocked, and any facial data used will be deleted immediately after the comparison.

Meta is also testing video selfies to make account recovery easier for users locked out due to hacking or fraud. Instead of uploading government-issued IDs, users can submit a video selfie, which will be compared to the profile picture on their account for verification.

These tests are currently happening globally, but not in the U.K. or EU due to stricter privacy laws. Meta has stated that it is working with regulators in those regions and is considering feedback from privacy experts to ensure compliance with local regulations.

Why it matters

This move raises questions about privacy, as it involves the collection and processing of biometric data. While Meta claims it deletes facial data immediately, the company’s history with user data has made many wary of how biometric information is handled.

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