Celeb-bait ads make Meta turn to facial recognition tech to combat scams

Global launch to help with faster account recovery

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, will utilise facial recognition technology (FRT) to combat scams. 

The company is introducing this feature amid an increase in celebrity-bait ads, helping users recover accounts more quickly. This is a global launch.

Recently, celebrity-bait scams have increasingly been used to lure people into engaging with ads that lead to scam websites, where they are asked to share personal information or send money.

Meta is rolling out FRT to celebrities impacted by scams, with plans for a gradual rollout to others in the coming weeks.

“We are testing the use of FRT to help protect our users from scams and to enable faster account recovery, while also keeping bad actors out of people’s accounts. With privacy and transparency in place, FRT can be a powerful tool to help protect people online, including on our apps,” said David Agranovich, director of security policy at Meta, during a select briefing over video call.

Meta discontinued the use of FRT in 2021, which had also allowed for image tagging, as the regulatory landscape around facial recognition was still evolving.

Meta will send in-app notifications to public figures and celebrities, informing them that they have been enrolled in this experiment and that they have the option to opt-out.

Agranovich explained that if the company suspects that an ad or account may be a scam and contains the image of a celebrity, Meta will use FRT to compare the celebrity’s face from their Facebook or Instagram profile picture against the image used in the ad. If Meta confirms a match and determines that the ad is a scam, it will block it. 

“The process is done in real time and is faster and more accurate than manual human reviews,” he added.

The second use of FRT is for account recovery. Meta will use FRT with selfie videos to make identity verification faster, easier, and more accurate so that users can regain access to their hacked accounts.

Sometimes, people lose access to their Facebook or Instagram accounts if they forget their password, lose their device, or when a scammer tricks them into revealing a password. 

If an account has been compromised, a user needs to verify their identity before regaining access by uploading an official ID or a certificate that includes their name. 

Meta is now testing video selfies as a means for people to verify their identity and regain access to compromised accounts.

“The user uploads a video selfie, and we’ll use FRT to compare the selfie against the profile pictures on the account they’re trying to access. This is similar to the identity verification used to unlock a phone or access other apps,” he said.

He also added that the video will never be visible on the user’s profile, to friends, or other people on Facebook or Instagram. Meta will immediately delete any facial data generated after this comparison, regardless of whether there’s a match or not.

“This pilot will enable us to be more effective in taking down celebrity ads. We also hope that it will make it easier for people to regain access to their accounts if they lose access due to hacking,” Agranovich added.

He noted that this is just one part of the multi-layered approach the company is taking to tackle scams and cybersecurity threats on its various platforms.

Scam check

> Initial roll out for celebs impacted by scams 

> Public roll out in coming weeks

> Meta to send in-app notification to public figures enrolled in the experiment 

> They may opt out of the same

> FRT to compare celebs’ faces from their Facebook, Instagram profile pictures in case of suspected scam ad/account  

> Ad/account to be blocked if a match is confirmed 

> FRT also to be used for account recovery