Meta reintroduces facial recognition on Facebook and Instagram with new safety features

This time, the tech will be used to fight scams and assist users with account recovery, the company announced in an update.

The first rollout will use facial recognition to detect scam ads featuring the faces of celebrities and public figures, a tactic known as “celeb-bait.” If an ad is suspected of being a scam, the system will compare the image with the celebrity’s Facebook or Instagram profile pictures. If a match is confirmed, the ad will be blocked.

The feature is initially available to a small group of public figures but will expand in the coming weeks, with users able to opt out of the protection.

Meta is also testing facial recognition tools for account recovery. A new “video selfie” option will allow users to upload a clip of themselves, which Meta will match to their profile photo to help regain access to locked accounts or prevent hackers from using stolen credentials. This feature, however, won’t assist business pages without personal profile photos.

Meta emphasized that the facial data collected will be immediately deleted after use and won’t be repurposed. While these features are optional for users, celebrities will be automatically enrolled in the scam protection but can opt out.