Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, is taking a stand against scammers who fraudulently use celebrities in advertisements. The tech giant is set to introduce facial recognition technology to combat these deceptive practices.
Celebrities like Elon Musk and personal finance expert Martin Lewis have been victims of these scams, which often promote investment schemes and cryptocurrencies. Mr. Lewis has expressed his frustration at the countless reports of his name and face being used in such scams, leaving him feeling “sick” by the exploitation.
Meta already utilizes artificial intelligence to detect fake celebrity endorsements, but now they are enhancing their efforts with facial recognition technology. This new system will compare images from suspicious ads with celebrities’ profile photos on Facebook and Instagram. If a match is confirmed and the ad is deemed a scam, it will be automatically deleted.
The company has conducted early testing of the system with promising results and will now expand its use to notify a larger group of public figures affected by these scams. The issue of celebrity scams has been ongoing for Meta, with scammers increasingly using deepfake technology to create believable endorsements.
In addition to combating fraudulent ads, Meta will also implement facial recognition technology to assist users who are locked out of their social media accounts. Instead of uploading official IDs or documents, users can now verify their identity through video selfies and face recognition to regain access more quickly.
While facial recognition technology raises privacy concerns, Meta assures that the video selfies will be encrypted and securely stored, with the facial data deleted after verification. However, the system will not be available in regions where regulatory approval is pending, including the UK and EU.
By introducing facial recognition technology, Meta aims to strengthen its defenses against online scammers and provide a more secure experience for its users.
