Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, launched a new initiative aimed at enhancing account security through facial recognition technology.
This initiative is designed to streamline the recovery of hacked accounts and combat scams, particularly those involving celebrity impersonation.
“Scammers are relentless and continuously evolve their tactics to try to evade detection, so we’re building on our existing defenses by testing new ways to protect people and make it harder for scammers to deceive others,” the company said in a disclosure.
Users will be able to verify their identity by recording a video selfie, which will be compared to their existing profile pictures.
The process is intended to be more efficient than traditional document-based verification methods.
Meta assures that all facial data collected during this process will be encrypted and deleted immediately after use.
Additionally, the technology will help identify fraudulent ads that exploit celebrity images, automatically blocking any confirmed scams.
“Scammers often try to use images of public figures, such as content creators or celebrities, to bait people into engaging with ads that lead to scam websites, where they are asked to share personal information or send money. This scheme, commonly called “celeb-bait,” violates our policies and is bad for people that use our products,” Meta explained.
Public figures included in this protection will be notified and can opt out if they choose.
While currently in testing, Meta plans to expand this feature to more users in the coming weeks.
“We want to help protect people and their accounts, and while the adversarial nature of this space means we won’t always get it right, we believe that facial recognition technology can help us be faster, more accurate and more effective,” it assured.
