Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, is introducing facial recognition technology to combat fraudulent ads using celebrity endorsements. Public figures like Elon Musk and financial expert Martin Lewis have been frequent targets of such scams, which often promote investment schemes and cryptocurrencies.
Currently, Meta employs AI-powered ad reviews, but with the rise of deepfake technology, scammers have become more sophisticated. Meta’s new system will cross-check flagged ads against celebrities’ profile photos, automatically deleting fraudulent ads if a match is confirmed.
Meta has faced legal pressure to address this issue, including from Martin Lewis, who previously sued the company. The tech giant responded by introducing a button to report scam ads and donating £3m to Citizens Advice.
Expansion of Facial Recognition for Account Recovery
Meta is also testing video selfies and face recognition to help users regain access to locked accounts. This method will compare the selfie with the user’s profile image, providing faster account recovery.
While facial recognition raises privacy concerns, Meta assures that all data will be encrypted and deleted after verification. The new system will not be available in the UK or EU until regulatory permissions are obtained.
