Meta is expanding its face ID features, and I have thoughts.

After testing facial recognition for account recovery last year, Meta is now rolling this out to high-profile users in the UK, EU, and South Korea. Their stated goal? Detecting potential scams and enabling faster account recovery. But as with anything involving your biometric data, there’s a bit more to unpack here.

What’s Actually Happening

Meta is expanding two facial recognition features:

1. Celeb-bait protection: This matches faces used in ads to images Meta has on file of high-profile users. If there’s a match, Meta checks with the official profile to confirm if it’s a legitimate, endorsed promotion.
2. Account recovery via facial recognition: Another way to get back into your account if you’re locked out.

According to Meta: “In the coming weeks, public figures in the UK and EU will start seeing in-app notifications letting them know they can now opt-in to receive the celeb bait protection with facial recognition technology.”

They’re also keen to emphasise that these features are “optional” and that they’ll “delete people’s facial data as soon as it’s no longer needed.” Hmm, where have we heard similar promises before? 🤔

The Elephant in the Digital Room

If you’re thinking “Wait, didn’t Meta completely shut down facial recognition on Facebook a few years ago?” – you’d be absolutely right!

Back in 2021, Meta dramatically announced they were shutting down their facial recognition system entirely. This was during their big rebrand from Facebook to Meta, when they were desperately trying to distance themselves from… well, themselves.

At the time, facial recognition was becoming increasingly controversial with some genuinely concerning applications popping up around the world – from identifying people entering stadiums to real-time criminal history matching. In China, the technology was being used to catch jaywalkers and identify Uyghur Muslims for tracking.

Meta wanted nothing to do with that PR nightmare, so they shut it all down. Until now, that is.

I was chatting with a client about this yesterday, and she pointed out something interesting – we’ve become so desensitised to privacy concerns that most people would probably trade their biometric data for simple convenience without a second thought. And honestly? She’s probably right.

What This Actually Means For Brands

While this feature is currently targeting “public figures,” we all know how these things usually go. Features test with celebrities first, then roll out to regular users after the bugs are worked out.

Here’s what you should be thinking about:

1. Enhanced protection might be coming your way If you’re a personal brand or public figure, this feature could actually help prevent your likeness from being used in scammy ads. I mean, it’s already part of the process for Meta verification.
2. This is likely just the beginning Meta isn’t just developing this for security. They’re also working on photorealistic avatars that can be generated from just four selfies. According to reports from UploadVR, this is part of their ongoing metaverse vision.
3. Consider your comfort level now Start thinking about your boundaries with biometric data. If this feature does eventually roll out more broadly, would you opt-in for the convenience? Or opt-out for privacy?

The Bigger Picture

While Meta frames this as purely about security, I can’t help but see the strategic long game here. Meta needs to normalize facial scanning if they want their metaverse dreams to become reality. Getting users comfortable with uploading selfies for “security purposes” creates a smooth on-ramp to eventually scanning your face for avatar creation.

It’s a bit like when your friend claims they’re “just going for a quick coffee” but shows up wearing their running gear. We see your real intentions, Meta! 👀

What makes this particularly interesting is the regional rollout. Starting in the UK, EU (with their strict GDPR regulations), and South Korea suggests Meta is testing the waters in places with stronger privacy laws first – perhaps to establish precedent before a wider launch.

Should You Be Worried?

I’m not here to sound all doom and gloom – there are legitimate benefits to these features. But as with any technology that involves your biometric data, a healthy dose of skepticism is warranted.

My take? Meta’s reassurances about deleting data “as soon as it’s no longer needed” would be more convincing if they had a spotless privacy record. But their history suggests otherwise.

For now, if you do get the option to opt-in, consider whether the convenience outweighs your comfort with having your facial data, even temporarily, in Meta’s hands.

I’d love to know – would you use facial recognition for account recovery if given the option? Or is that a privacy line you’re not willing to cross? Let me know your thoughts.