Meta reboots Facebook face biometrics to combat ‘celeb-bait’ ads

Meta is testing face biometrics as a way to detect and prevent celeb-bait ads on its platforms.

This reboot of face biometrics comes three years after Meta shut the feature down, following pushback from regulators amid privacy concerns.

The Facebook and Instagram owner will also make use of the technology to enable faster account recovery, the company said.

Celeb-bait ads is a scam where images of famous people are used to bait users into engaging with ads. These ads then lead to scam websites that ask for personal information or to send money.

However, legitimate ads often use celebrity images and celeb-bait ads are designed to look like the real thing. Meta is testing facial biometrics as a way to tell them apart, with 50,000 public figures recruited in a trial of the scheme. These famous figures will be notified of their involvement and have the option to opt out if they wish not to participate.

In the trial, if Meta suspects a celeb-bait ad, the company will use biometrics to compare faces in the suspected ad to that public figure’s Facebook and Instagram profile pictures. “If we confirm a match and determine the ad is a scam, we’ll block it,” Meta said, in a release.

“We immediately delete any facial data generated from ads for this one-time comparison, regardless of whether our system finds a match, and we don’t use it for any other purpose,” it continued.

Meta has so far tested the system with “a small group of celebrities and public figures” and said that it showed “promising results” in increasing the speed and effectiveness of detecting this particular kind of scam, according to the social media giant.

The plan is to commence the larger trial globally from December, although Meta does not have regulatory clearance in the UK, the European Union (GDPR), South Korea (PIPC), and the U.S. states of Texas (CUBI) and Illinois (BIPA).

The social media company has been under pressure to cut out celeb-bait scams, with the rise of generative AI allowing scammers easier access to unique imagery. However, Meta has also faced scrutiny in its use of data.

This summer the company was ordered to pay the state of Texas $1.4 billion in a lawsuit settlement, after it was accused of illegal biometric data collection.

Meta deleted the facial scan data of one billion users and closed its face biometrics system in 2021, citing “growing concerns” about the use of the technology.

Regaining accounts with video selfies

Meta is testing video selfies as a way for users to verify their identity and regain access to compromised accounts. It is a continuation of the face biometrics technology used for celeb-bait ads.

Facebook and Instagram users might lose access to their accounts when they forget their passwords, lose their smartphones, or to scammers. When Facebook and Instagram users lose access to their accounts – such as forgetting the password – Meta currently requires account holders to upload an official ID or official certificate that includes the user’s name in order to verify identity.

But in the new method, users will upload a video selfie and the Meta will use facial recognition to compare the selfie to the profile pictures on the account the user is trying to access.

Meta says that as soon as the video selfie is uploaded it will be encrypted and stored securely. “It will never be visible on their profile, to friends or to other people on Facebook or Instagram,” the company said.

“We immediately delete any facial data generated after this comparison regardless of whether there’s a match or not.”

Article Topics

biometric matching  |  biometrics  |  Facebook  |  facial recognition  |  Meta  |  selfie biometrics  |  social media