Facebook has developed a new feature to let you log in using your own face. The facial recognition technology is initially piloted as a part of the account recovery process on the social network, but it would succeed the traditional two-factor authentication over time.
As first reported by Matt Navarra of technology blog The Next Web, the new feature allows you to use the front-facing camera sensor of your mobile device to unlock your account. Facebook confirmed the existence of the advancement in a separate press statement.
"We are testing a new feature for people who want to quickly and easily verify account ownership during the account recovery process. This optional feature is available only on devices you've already used to log in," the company said in the statement to TechCrunch.
Also read: Facebook testing dedicated WhatsApp button for its Android app, suggests report
Notably, Facebook hasn't made the facial recognition feature as the default option to pass the account recovery process. It has been instead made available alongside the existing two-factor authentication that requires a code which is generated through an SMS. The feature is ultimately designed to help Facebook users confirm their identity with ease.
AIl efforts in back end
Facebook has a strong presence in the world of artificial intelligence (AI). The Menlo Park, California headquartered company so far has four research labs, including the newest one in Montreal, Canada. However, competitors like Apple, Google and Microsoft, are also in the race of enabling advanced authentication using face patterns of their users.
Amongst other developments, Apple showcased its advanced facial recognition technology called Face ID that's been surpassing the existing fingerprint recognising Touch ID and is arriving through the iPhone X in the coming months.
The development of Face ID has apparently influenced Facebook to deploy its existing resources and lets users enter its space using their own faces. Going forward, the limited facial recognition feature is likely to be expanded not only to new users but also across devices and even for logging in, replacing the culture of typed passwords.
