Meta Reintroduces Facial Recognition To Combat Celebrity Scams

Meta, the social media giant led by Mark Zuckerberg, is reinstating its facial recognition technology on Facebook in response to a surge in celebrity scams, also known as “celeb bait” scams.

These scams exploit images of public figures in fake advertisements, deceiving users into investing in fraudulent schemes.

This move marks Meta’s return to facial recognition after discontinuing the feature in 2021, when it deleted the face scan data of one billion users due to widespread privacy concerns and debates over biometric data usage.

Meta’s decision to bring back facial recognition is driven by both privacy concerns and regulatory pressures. Starting in December, the company will commence a software trial by comparing the profile photos of about 50,000 public figures with images used in suspected scam ads. If a match is found, Meta will block the fraudulent advertisement. Celebrities involved in the trial will be notified and given the option to opt-out.

The trial is set for a global rollout, but Meta will exclude regions such as the UK, the European Union, South Korea, and U.S. states like Texas and Illinois, where it lacks regulatory approval to use facial recognition technology.

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Meta’s vice president of Content Policy, Monika Bickert, in a media briefing, explained that the initiative aims to protect public figures whose images are frequently misused in scams.

“We want to provide as much protection as possible for them. While they can opt-out, we’re making this protection readily available,” Bickert stated.

Meta emphasised that any facial data generated during the trial will be deleted immediately after being compared with images in suspected scam ads, whether or not a scam is detected. The company also highlighted that the tool has undergone extensive internal privacy reviews and consultations with regulators and privacy experts.

Beyond celebrity scams, Meta is exploring the use of facial recognition to assist regular users of Facebook and Instagram, potentially helping people regain access to their accounts after being hacked or losing their passwords.