Facebook could use video selfies to fight fake accounts

It looks like Facebook is working on a new tool to fight back against fake accounts.

The social network is testing a video-based verification system that asks users to record short videos clips of their face in order to "confirm your identity and check that you're a real person," according to newly surfaced screenshots.

The feature was uncovered by researcher Jane Manchun Wong, whose track record for breaking news about unreleased Facebook features is so strong, multiple Facebook employees and executives have started to follow her on Twitter.

According to screenshots posted by Wong, the feature prompts users to create a short video selfie, showing the each side of your face, in order to "check that you're a real person." Though Wong speculates the feature uses facial recognition, it's not clear if the feature is actually identifying faces or merely confirming that it is, in fact, a real human in front of the camera.

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An accompanying messages notes that the videos are deleted within 30 days "after your identity is confirmed."

Facebook didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. The company often tests new features that don't end up being released to the public.

But it wouldn't be surprising if the company was exploring new ways to guard against bots and other types of fake accounts. The social media company removed more than 2 billion fake accounts in the first half of this year alone, and some critics have speculated Facebook's fake account problem could be far larger.

If the video verification system does use facial recognition, though, it could prove controversial. The company was previously criticized by the Federal Trade Commission for its "deceptive" facial recognition feature that powered automatic face tagging in users' photos. Facebook updated those settings earlier this year to make it easier to opt out.

UPDATE: Nov. 5, 2019, 4:47 p.m. PST A Facebook spokesperson confirmed the company is testing the new video verification feature, but said it does not use facial recognition.

“This test is one of the steps we use to determine that a real person is operating an account rather than a bot," the spokesperson said. "It does not use facial recognition. Instead, it detects motion and whether a face is in the video.”