Facebook acquires mobile ID authentication startup Confirm.io

Facebook has acquired mobile ID authentication startup Confirm.io, which could help the social media company restore access to users locked out of their accounts, TechCrunch reports.

Confirm.io had raised $4 million in a seed funding round led by Cava Capital in 2015 to develop technology for mobile biometrics and capturing data from ID cards. After establishing the identity associated with enrolled biometrics, Confirm.io would delete the personal information, according to TechCrunch.

The company will close down as its team and technology are integrated into Facebook.

“When we launched Confirm, our mission was to become the market’s trusted identity origination platform for which other multifactor verification services can build upon,” the company wrote in a statement on its website. “Now, we’re ready to take the next step on our journey with Facebook.”

As previously reported, Facebook has tested an account recovery system using facial recognition, and also filed a patent application for making payments at physical retailers with facial recognition in November. TechCrunch notes the potential for Facebook to use Confirm.io’s technology to develop a capability powered by biometrics to replace an ID card in some situations.

Article Topics

acquisitions  |  Confirm  |  Facebook  |  facial recognition  |  mobile biometrics