Facebook scraps facial recognition feature amid privacy concerns

Fresh from revealing the name of its parent company, Facebook has announced it will be shelving the facial recognition system on its network. The Mark Zuckerberg-led social media platform will implement the change in the coming weeks.

Photo credit: A screen grab from a Y Combinator video

The company will also be deleting more than a billion facial recognition templates it has collected so far from users, it said. With the change, people who’ve opted in for the system – about a third of Facebook’s massive total user base – will no longer be automatically recognized in photos and videos.

Facebook said the move will affect its Automatic Alt Text (AAT) feature, which creates image descriptions for its visually impaired and blind audience. After this change, descriptions will no longer include the names of people recognized in photos, but other functions will not be affected.

“Looking ahead, we still see facial recognition technology as a powerful tool, for example, for people needing to verify their identity or to prevent fraud and impersonation,” Facebook’s statement read. “We will continue working on these technologies and engaging outside experts.”

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The announcement comes after Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen’s testimony revealed several controversies within the firm, including its disregard for safeguards on its platforms in pursuit of  “astronomical profits.”