Facebook Update: New Feature Uses Facial Recognition Technology

Facebook has recently released a new update to their system. The facial recognition technology has been integrated into the social media site's function and it is meant to detect the faces of its users in photos even when they have not been tagged.

"We're always working to make it easier for all people, regardless of ability, to access Facebook, make connections and have more opportunities," said Facebook's director in applied machine learning, Joaquin Candela, in a statement. "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 people aren't tagged."

The facial recognition technology can be accessed through the Photo Review feature, which is meant to alert users whenever the algorithm detects their faces in the photos uploaded by people. Further reports reveal that this is Facebook's attempt at making people feel more secure. This is because the technology will allow them to control the image they have over the Internet. As such, being able to make a decision of whether or not they can leave it be should help in protecting their privacy and identity.

Furthermore, Facebook's facial recognition claims to be a way for users to indulge in nostalgia from time to time without sacrificing the identity of their users. The new feature has received mixed reactions from the community, with some lauding Facebook for their efforts in enhancing their experience on the world wide web, while others criticized and perceived it as a creepy feature. Regardless, Facebook has said that the users can control whether their accounts should use the new feature or not. This means that the Photo Review can be turned on or off manually in the users' account settings.