Face recognition will no longer be used on Meta's platforms, the company that was formerly known as Facebook. Face Recognition will be turned off on Facebook in the coming weeks, according to Meta.
The change will also affect Facebook's automatic alt-text technology, which is used to create image descriptions for people who are blind or visually impaired.
Face scans of over a billion people will be deleted, and Facebook will no longer recognize people's faces automatically, meaning users who opted in to the service will no longer receive alerts when a photo or video of them is uploaded to the social network.
Societal concerns about facial recognition prompted the decision, according to Meta's Vice President of Artificial Intelligence, Jerome Pesenti, "especially as regulators have yet to provide clear rules" surrounding the technology.
Pesenti continued, "Every new technology brings with it the potential for both benefit and concern, and we want to find the right balance."
According to the New York Times, Facebook plans to delete over one billion facial recognition templates in the coming weeks, but not the algorithm that powers the software.
According to a spokesperson for Meta, Jason Grosse, the company has not ruled out using the software in the future.
Pesenti stated in the blog post that the company would consider using facial recognition technology in situations where people need to verify their identity or prevent fraud and impersonation.
Disclaimer: Comments and opinions on any part of this website are the opinions of blog commenters or anonymous individuals, and do not reflect Strenuous Blog position.