When a Facebook user is unable to sign in into his account, he can rely on the two-factor authentication that asks for a mobile phone number so that a confirmation code can be sent to it through SMS. It seems that apart from this method of regaining control of the account, Facebook will be soon provide another option of facial recognition to confirm the identity of the user for unlocking an account. Facebook has confirmed that it is currently testing the new account authentication feature.
According to Facebook, the facial recognition feature for verifying an account will be only available on those devices that users have already used to log in. Currently, it is testing it by making the feature available to a small number of users. If the feature proves to be reliable and cannot be fooled by hackers, it may be made available to wider audience. A screenshot of the new facial scanning feature has been shared by Matt Navarra from The Next Web.
NEW! Facebook working on a facial recognition feature to help secure your account
h/t Devesh Logendran pic.twitter.com/demol4dKj1
— Matt Navarra (@MattNavarra) September 29, 2017
Here is how the facial recognition feature will work on Facebook. Users will be required to hold their phone to their face and then the Facebook app will scan the face and compare it with the tagged images and videos of the user that are present on the site. Once a match is found, the account will be unlocked.
For wider acceptance, Facebook will have to ensure that the facial scanning feature is highly reliable and it cannot be hacked by using a picture of a user. The company is not new to facial scanning technology as it has been using it for years when it makes suggestions for tagging. When a photo is uploaded on Facebook, it is automatically scanned to detect faces it recognizes from the profiles of friends and then it provides suggestions on tagging. In the previous year, Facebook had acquired a company called FacioMetrics, a facial recognition software company. Facebook had claimed that it had bought FacioMetrics to rival with SnapChat for adding effects to photos and videos.
Do you think Facebook’s facial recognition feature will be reliable and unhackable? Share us your thoughts by adding your comments below.
