The new iPhone comes with a feature called Face ID that allows people to use facial recognition technology to unlock their phones, and several Android-based smartphones offer similar features. Now Facebook is experimenting with the technology as a way to login to social media accounts.
The company confirmed, “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. It is another step, alongside two-factor authentication via SMS, that were taking to make sure account owners can confirm their identity.”
However, some users are uncomfortable with facial recognition as an authentication tool. Time will tell if the technology becomes acceptable and widespread as a way to authenticate users for websites.