Facebook AI recognises face, can alert you on misuse

HYDERABAD: Facebook is doing its bit to help users identify all the pictures that are uploaded on its website, using artificial intelligence. With the new feature called ‘photo Review’, Facebook will find your face and notify you, even if you are not tagged. This new feature sends a notification to the user when someone else is trying to use their image in profile picture or on timeline. It bolsters confidence among users that there aren’t pictures floating around without their knowledge.

‘We want people to feel confident when they post pictures of themselves on Facebook so we’ll soon begin using face recognition technology to let people know when someone else uploads a photo of them as their profile picture. We’re doing this to prevent people from impersonating others on Facebook,’ said the company.

However, the thought that Facebook will be scanning every photo may not be acceptable to some. Consequently, one has the option to opt out of the feature altogether. Users will soon see a straightforward ‘on and off’ setting for options that use face recognition technology. The user will have the option to confirm the tag or reach out to the person who uploaded it without prior consent or an imposter. Face recognition feature was first introduced in 2010.

“When you have face recognition enabled, our technology analyses the pixels in photos you’re already tagged in and generates a string of numbers we call a template. When photos and videos are uploaded to our systems, we compare those images to the template,” said Rob Sherman, deputy chief privacy officer in his statement. Facebook is also adding facial recognition for visually impaired people. “Two years ago, we launched an automatic alt-text tool, which describes photos to people with vision loss. Now, with face recognition, people who use screen readers will know who appears in photos in their news feed even if they aren’t tagged,” said the company.