Facebook to Shut Down Facial Recognition System

By Staff, Agencies

Facebook announced on Tuesday that it will shut down its facial recognition system amid growing societal concerns about the use of such technology.

The system automatically identifies users in photos and videos, according to Reuters.

"Regulators are still in the process of providing a clear set of rules governing its use," Jerome Pesenti, vice president of artificial intelligence at Facebook stated.

"Amid this ongoing uncertainty, we believe that limiting the use of facial recognition to a narrow set of use cases is appropriate."

The world’s largest social media platform removes its facial recognition feature as the tech industry faces a reckoning over the ethics of technology use, Reuters reported.

Critics consider the system, which is popular among retailers, hospitals, and other businesses for security purposes, could compromise privacy, target marginalized groups, and normalize intrusive surveillance.

Computer hardware company IBM already ceased facial recognition product sales, as Microsoft and Amazon suspended their sales to police indefinitely, according to Reuters.

The move comes as Facebook is under intense scrutiny over user safety and abuses on its platforms.

More than one-third of daily active users of Facebook - which renamed itself last week to "Meta" - opted into the face recognition feature.

A Facebook spokesperson disclosed that the removal will roll out globally, and is expected to be complete by December, Reuters reported.