Facebook shutting down face recognition efforts & deleting data

Posted:
in General Discussion
Facebook will now limit the use of facial recognition in its products and, in the coming weeks, will delete all stored facial data of its users.




Facebook has announced the end of its Face Recognition system, stating that the company will delete more than a billion people's individual facial recognition templates.

According to a press release, the company believes that while facial recognition can be helpful in certain instances, such as identity verification or fraud prevention, there are legitimate concerns to be addressed.

"There are many concerns about the place of facial recognition technology in society, and regulators are still in the process of providing a clear set of rules governing its use," the press release reads. "Amid this ongoing uncertainty, we believe that limiting the use of facial recognition to a narrow set of use cases is appropriate."

According to the social media giant, more than a third of Facebook's daily active users have opted to use Facebook's Face Recognition setting. The same tool was centered in a lawsuit that claimed the company had been automatically collecting the biometric data of anyone who appeared in photos on the platform.

According to the case, Facebook had created facial recognition templates for those who did not even own an Instagram account.

Users who have opted in will no longer be automatically recognized in photos and videos, and any data related to their facial templates will be deleted. However, in contrast to the 2020 lawsuit mentioned above, the press release states, "if you have the face recognition setting turned off, there is no template to delete and there will be no change."

Facebook will also end the features that automatically notified people when they appeared in photos or videos posted by others and recommended who to tag in photos.

The Automatic Alt Text (AAT), designed to create image descriptions for blind and visually impaired users, will no longer identify specific users. However, AAT will continue to determine how many people are in a photo and attempt to describe the scene for visually impaired and blind users.

Facebook is currently under investigation after a whistleblower leaked internal documents, criticizing the social network's track record, claiming "Facebook over and over again, has shown it chooses profit over safety."

The company has been told to preserve all documents, and messages ranging back to 2016 as the US government and other authorities begin investigating the company's operations.

In an attempt to rebrand during the controversy, Facebook has changed its company name to Meta. Its social media platforms will retain their previous monikers.

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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 16
    omasouomasou Posts: 613member
    probably determined that they couldn't monetize the data.
    viclauyycStrangeDaysdewmepulseimagesbaconstangwatto_cobra
  • Reply 2 of 16
    PR Blah! Blah! Blah!

    Does anyone really think that FB would stop collecting and collating data on its victims?

    Just wait... a few months down the line it will begin again but in the background. No one will say anything until the next Whistleblower.

    watto_cobra
  • Reply 3 of 16
    GG1GG1 Posts: 483member
    What they don't say:

    Technically, Facebook will stop using them, but Meta will continue the effort.
    viclauyycdewmeFileMakerFellerbaconstangwatto_cobra
  • Reply 4 of 16
    The issue is not with face recognition, but with Facebook. 
    StrangeDaysdewmeFileMakerFellerwatto_cobra
  • Reply 5 of 16
    byronlbyronl Posts: 372member
    GG1 said:
    What they don't say:

    Technically, Facebook will stop using them, but Meta will continue the effort.

    lmaoo
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 6 of 16
    Too little, way too late.

    The only true justice would be Zuckerberg and his lieutenants in a prison cell for a very long time.
    edited November 2021 watto_cobra
  • Reply 7 of 16
    Pretty sure few years down the road, another whistleblower will tell the press that FB did not delete the data. They just uses it internally and sell the data to China. 
    mr lizardwatto_cobra
  • Reply 8 of 16
    I do not for one moment believe that Facebook will be deleting this data. Facebook lies and lies and lies. They’ll say they’ve deleted it. 

    They’ll still have it. 
    FileMakerFellerwatto_cobra
  • Reply 9 of 16
    mobirdmobird Posts: 758member
    Noticed some online digital advertising that Facebook is currently pushing with a different flavor and appearance. Be prepared for the onslaught of Facebook ad campaigns...
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 10 of 16
    cg27cg27 Posts: 221member
    Meta Culpa

    bestkeptsecretgatorguywatto_cobra
  • Reply 11 of 16
    I would be willing to bet that they will keep copies.  I wouldn’t be surprised if we hear of the data being hacked and leaked/sold.  I am curious how secure they have been keeping this data.  They are still walking and talking like a duck. 
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 12 of 16
    docbburk said:
    I would be willing to bet that they will keep copies.  I wouldn’t be surprised if we hear of the data being hacked and leaked/sold.  I am curious how secure they have been keeping this data.  They are still walking and talking like a duck. 
    ... I would expect legal liability and statute of limitations would require it, or perhaps there is a rationale to erase the past ...?
  • Reply 13 of 16
    According to the social media giant, more than a third of Facebook's daily active users have opted to use Facebook's Face Recognition setting.
    Opted to use it? Or failed to turn it off?
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 14 of 16
    In another note, Facebooks parent company has announced a new Meta Recognition system to be populated with recently acquired Meta data.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 15 of 16
    tommikele said:
    Too little, way too late.

    The only true justice would be Zuckerberg and his lieutenants in a prison cell for a very long time.
    On camera 24/7 in a cell full of stimulus devices we can use to manipulate his behavior. Now THAT's META.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 16 of 16
    JapheyJaphey Posts: 1,772member
    GG1 said:
    What they don't say:

    Technically, Facebook will stop using them, but Meta will continue the effort.
    Nice. You were right the money with this one. It was just announced that this is exactly what they will do. 
    watto_cobra
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