Last October, Meta began international testing of two facial recognition tools aimed at combating celebrity impersonation scams and helping users recover compromised Facebook or Instagram accounts. Following discussions with UK regulators, Meta recently announced the expansion of this testing to the United Kingdom.
The rollout of the facial recognition tools comes with the approval of UK regulatory authorities. Meta stated that the UK government is increasingly supportive of AI applications as the technology advances. The “celebrity baiting” protection feature for public figures will also be expanded to other countries where the tool has already been launched.
Meta stated in a release that public figures in the UK will receive in-app notifications within the next few weeks, allowing them to opt into the celebrity baiting protection feature. Additionally, all users will be able to opt into a new “video selfie verification” feature. Meta emphasized that both tools are entirely optional.
Meta has a long history with data usage. When launching these two facial recognition tools last year, the company stated that these features would only be used for combating scam ads and user verification. Monika Bickert, Meta's VP of Content Policy, noted in a blog post: "We immediately delete any facial data, regardless of whether the system finds a match, and it won't be used for any other purpose."
Currently, Meta is heavily investing in artificial intelligence, not only integrating AI extensively into its products but also developing standalone AI applications. Simultaneously, Meta is strengthening its lobbying efforts in the tech sector and voicing its opinions on AI applications deemed risky.
Facial recognition technology has been a thorny issue for Meta. Recently, Meta agreed to pay $1.4 billion to settle a long-running lawsuit related to its facial recognition technology. Back in 2021, Facebook shut down its decade-old facial recognition photo tool due to multiple regulatory and legal challenges. Notably, the company retained a portion of its DeepFace model, stating it would be incorporated into future technological products, which may be related to the current offerings.
Key takeaways:
🌟 Meta launches facial recognition anti-fraud tools in the UK, expanding after regulatory approval.
🔒 Users can opt into celebrity baiting protection and video selfie verification features designed to combat scams.
💰 Meta agrees to pay $1.4 billion to settle legal issues surrounding its facial recognition technology, facing regulatory challenges.