Like all social networks, Facebook has a bot problem. But the company is testing a new feature that uses people’s faces to verify their identities through it claims the method doesn’t use facial recognition.
Jane Manchun Wong, a Hong Kong-based
reverse-engineering app researcher, shared screenshots (Nov. 5) showing that
the company is testing a verification feature that asks users to position their
face in a circle, and then record a video as they rotate their heads slowly, to
prove they are real human beings. The video selfies will be deleted after 30
days and will not be seen by others, according to a screenshot of a disclaimer
posted on the interface of the new feature uploaded by Wong.
Wong posted several screenshots of the
selfie-like verification system, which reads: “We need a short video of you
turning your head in different directions. This helps us confirm your identity
and check you’re a real person.”
The feature is only triggered when the user
is suspected of being “fake,” such as a bot, according to reports. The company
removed a record 2.2 billion fake accounts in the first quarter of the year.
