Meta (formerly known as Facebook) is discontinuing Facebook’s Face Recognition feature following a lengthy privacy battle.
Meta says the change will roll out in the coming weeks. As part of it, the company will stop using facial recognition algorithms to tag people in photographs and videos, and it will delete the facial recognition templates that it uses for identification.
By shutting down a feature it’s used for years, Meta is hoping to bolster user confidence in its privacy protections as it prepares a rollout of potentially privacy-compromising virtual and augmented reality technology.
The company launched a pair of camera-equipped smart glasses in partnership with Ray-Ban earlier this year, and it’s gradually launching 3D virtual worlds on its Meta VR headset platform. All these efforts will require a level of trust from users and regulators, and giving up Facebook auto-tagging — especially after a legal challenge to the program — is a straightforward way to bolster it. (The verge)
Facebook said it's shutting down its facial recognition system, which automatically identifies users in photos and videos https://t.co/Tkkfw6hbOi pic.twitter.com/DpzJvld8wG
— Reuters (@Reuters) November 2, 2021