We’re not sure exactly how new this is but nevertheless, it’s pretty innovative.
We’ve confirmed that if you or someone else attempts to access your Facebook account from an IP address Facebook isn’t familiar with (i.e. abroad), Facebook will take you through an authentication process that will require you to tag pictures of 10 friends in multiple choice format.
According to one source, a 10 out of 10 result was needed to pass and access their account, although you were given an option to “pass.” According to another source, “the photos had tagged people who were wearing fancy dress costumes including a full mask. The face was literally not visible, and I wouldn’t be getting any points for recognizing a dead president. Fortunately Facebook showed two different images per person.”
It’s refreshing to see how serious Facebook are taking the authentication process. However one can’t help but consider just how reliable face authentication is? One question wrong and you’re locked out? Also, as one commenter points out below, if you’re in the habit of accepting many a friend – whether you know them or not – it’s very possible you won’t know the majority of people Facebook throws at you.
Also, should this level of authentication become a standard across social networks? Twitter clearly wouldn’t be able to do it using facial recognition but should we expect it to explore similar standards of authentication?
This has been going on for quite some time now, the problem is for people who have tons of friends they don’t know personally or when the pic chosen by the system is that of a huge group or even two friends.
agreed. Might be time to have a big clear up of my facebook friends
Yes, I experienced this in mid-May when I went to a few internet cafes while on holiday in Brazil.
Plus it also once bugged out on me, and I couldn’t re-start the session so was locked out for a few hours.
Is anyone else really disturbed by this?
Happy to be an Ex Facebook user
In the past, i may have, but honestly now I just think this stuff is to be expected.
I saw this a while ago when I had logged on from a diffferent computer pretty ingenious security process I would say. Having said that I definitely got 1 wrong and it still let me though. The problem is that the photo’s can be completely random and perhaps in some instances not even recogniseable. I guess the 2 images situation can take the chances of the photos being unvisible away. Has it been confirmed what happens if the Verification is failed?
There’s also a lock in effect, and if Facebook wanted to push facial recognition systems (as seen in Picasa, iPhoto) they’re setting up a nice set of data. I wouldn’t say the move is totally altruistic – it binds other users more to using Facebook
That was my first thought. The dataset that this will create has really obvious (and creepy) applications.
I had to undergo this process a couple of months back and to be honest didn’t mind whatsoever – was far simpler than answering the standard ‘secret questions’. From memory the process required 7 out of 10 friends correctly identified.
another problem with this authentication method is that some friends are tagged in photos that aren’t actually the friend.
Example 1: One of my friends tags her name/account to any picture with her kids in it. This is so other friends can see pictures of her kids but also reduces the children’s exposure to online predators that could learn their names and use it maliciously. I wouldn’t be able to identify my friend if it was picture of one of their kids in most cases.
Example 2: There’s all these tagging trends where people tag a picture of the cast of Glee or the Brady Bunch or Care Bears, etc.. with a friend’s name/account. Sorry, i’m not sure which friend is Sue Sylvester.
3) I have friends that are only friends through different games. No idea how to get past this authentication method now.
I think it should only flip up pics that you yourself tagged, or at least pics that you are in.
I am locked out of facebook. I am not given the option to use the photos to pass the check . I am given what is your least favorite nickname, I have no idea what my answer is.
I have been locked out since July 11th, when I accessed it in New York JFk airport. I was in Paris also and can’t get in. I emailed facebook support,info and disabled and have yet to get in.
Hum… ok… How long does Facebook store IP addresses? If they store IP addresses for a period of time longer than 6 months, European Data Protection Authorities are not going to appreciate that…
I was expected to identify things that weren’t people at all, such as parts of wall paper patterns. I was not able to access my account. Plus this means that 10 pictures not of my selection are displayed. I knew my email address and password; that’s secure enough for me.
I got back in my account last week..I was so happy. Remembered the password…the security word..I was trying so many and tried one word and finally it worked and I got in.
Finally I posted over 500 photos from my trip.
What if you are blind?
This is Facebook, not the Pentagon. It’s overkill.