Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, is introducing facial recognition technology (FRT) to combat the growing number of scams involving fake ads that use celebrity images. This global rollout comes as Meta faces a surge in “celebrity-bait” scams, where fraudulent ads lure users into sharing personal information or sending money by impersonating well-known figures.
As part of the company’s new strategy, FRT will be used initially to help celebrities who are frequently targeted by these scams. Over the coming weeks, Meta plans to gradually extend this technology to a broader range of users.
“We are testing the use of FRT to help protect our users from scams and enable faster account recovery while keeping bad actors out of people’s accounts,” said David Agranovich, Meta’s director of security policy, during a select briefing. He emphasized that Meta is focusing on privacy and transparency in deploying FRT, seeing it as a powerful tool for online protection across its platforms, including Facebook and Instagram.
The rise of celebrity-bait scams
Celebrity-bait scams have become an increasingly common tactic used by fraudsters. These scams often involve ads featuring famous figures, which then direct users to fraudulent websites. On these sites, users are prompted to provide personal information or even send money, thinking they are engaging with legitimate offers or promotions linked to the celebrity.
To address this, Meta will use FRT to identify whether a celebrity’s image has been used in an ad or account suspected of being a scam. By comparing the image with the celebrity’s profile picture on Facebook or Instagram, Meta will verify the match and, if confirmed, block the ad or account immediately.
Faster account recovery with facial recognition
In addition to targeting scams, Meta is leveraging FRT to enhance its account recovery process. This feature will allow users to upload selfie videos for identity verification, making it quicker and more efficient to regain access to compromised accounts.
Agranovich explained that people can sometimes lose access to their Facebook or Instagram accounts if they forget their passwords, lose their devices, or fall victim to scams that trick them into revealing login details. Currently, users have to verify their identity by uploading official IDs or other certificates with their names, which can be a cumbersome process. The introduction of FRT, through video selfies, aims to simplify and speed up this verification.
“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,” said Agranovich. He likened this process to unlocking a phone with facial recognition or accessing other apps that use similar technology.
Importantly, Meta ensures that privacy is maintained during this process. The video selfies will never be visible on the user’s profile or to their friends, and once the verification is complete, any facial data generated will be immediately deleted—whether the identity match was successful or not.
Meta’s commitment to privacy and transparency
Meta’s use of FRT isn’t entirely new. The company previously used facial recognition for image tagging but discontinued it in 2021 due to growing concerns about the evolving regulatory landscape around this technology. With its reintroduction, Meta is keen to emphasize that the use of FRT in this context is designed with stringent privacy safeguards.
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Public figures and celebrities affected by scams will receive in-app notifications informing them that they have been enrolled in the experiment, with the option to opt out. If the system detects that an ad or account uses a celebrity’s image suspiciously, the FRT will compare the image with the official profile picture of the celebrity. Once a match is confirmed and the ad is deemed fraudulent, Meta will block it in real time.
Agranovich highlighted the importance of speed and accuracy, stating that FRT is much more efficient than manual human reviews, allowing Meta to block scams faster and protect users more effectively.
Multi-layered approach to tackling scams
While FRT is a key part of Meta’s new anti-scam strategy, Agranovich made it clear that it’s just one layer in a broader, multi-faceted approach to tackling cybersecurity threats on Meta’s platforms. From educating users about cybersecurity risks to deploying advanced technologies, Meta is aiming to make its platforms safer for everyone.
The rollout of the FRT initiative is currently focused on public figures and celebrities, but it will eventually be available to all users in the coming weeks. Meta’s goal is to protect users from the growing wave of cyber scams, help users recover their accounts more quickly, and ensure that its platforms remain a secure environment for interaction.
This new step in Meta’s security measures underscores the increasing importance of using advanced technology like facial recognition to safeguard against the ever-evolving tactics of online fraudsters.
