Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has launched a new initiative to tackle the growing problem of scam advertisements that exploit the likenesses of celebrities without their consent. By implementing facial recognition technology, Meta aims to curb the fraudulent use of high-profile figures in ads promoting dubious investment schemes and cryptocurrencies. The company hopes this measure will better protect public figures such as Elon Musk and financial expert Martin Lewis, who have both been victims of such scams.
Currently, Meta employs an AI-driven ad review system to flag and remove fake celebrity endorsements. However, with the rise of deepfake technology where lifelike images or videos falsely present celebrities as endorsing products the scams have become increasingly sophisticated. The newly introduced facial recognition tool will compare flagged ads to the celebrities’ own profile photos on Facebook or Instagram. If a match is detected, the fraudulent ad will be immediately removed. Meta claims early trials of this system have yielded promising results, prompting the company to expand its use.
The issue of celebrity scam ads has plagued Meta for over a decade, with figures like Martin Lewis taking legal action against Facebook in the 2010s. Although Lewis ultimately dropped the case after Meta introduced a reporting button for scam ads and donated £3 million to Citizens Advice, the sophistication of these scams has since escalated. In some instances, scammers now use deepfake technology to create convincingly realistic videos, making it appear as though celebrities are endorsing products they have no connection to.
In addition to cracking down on scam ads, Meta is expanding its use of facial recognition technology to help users regain access to locked accounts. The platform is testing video selfies as a way to confirm a user’s identity, a method designed to be quicker than the current process, which requires official documentation. The video selfies will be compared with the user’s profile photo to verify their identity, and Meta assures that all video data will be encrypted, securely stored, and deleted after verification.
While this technology could streamline the account recovery process, its widespread use raises concerns. Meta had previously abandoned facial recognition in 2021 due to privacy, accuracy, and bias issues. To address these concerns, the company emphasizes that the new system will not be deployed in regions where regulatory approval has not been secured, such as the UK and EU.
The surge in scam ads has prompted renewed calls for stronger regulations. Martin Lewis has urged the UK government to empower the media regulator Ofcom to take more robust action against these ads, especially after a recent fake interview with Chancellor Rachel Reeves was used to steal users’ bank details. Meta acknowledges that scammers are constantly adapting their tactics, but with these new defenses, it aims to stay ahead in protecting users and public figures alike.
