MANILA, Philippines – Facebook is using a new way to verify if a user is a real person by using a captcha that requires a user to upload a photo showing their face, Wired reports. 

The new captcha is automatically activated when Facebook detects suspicious activity. The identitiy verification process is meant to “help [Facebook] catch suspicious activity at various points of interaction on the site, including creating an account, sending Friend requests, setting up ads payments, and creating or editing ads,” Facebook told Wired. 

Once a user submits a photo, the photo is reviewed using automated processes although the social network declined to share further details to prevent system manipulation. While a photo is under review, the user is logged out of the network and will not be able to log back in until after the review is finished.

Facebook didn’t elaborate as to what comprises suspicious activity but one example provided is when one user, location-wise, consistently posts from New York and then starts making posts in Russia.

Facebook and other tech giants Twitter and Google admitted their platforms had been gamed by Russia to influence US elections in 2016. 

Facebook also didn’t reveal the frequency and scope that the photo-upload captcha is being used and when they started using the tool. But at least one Facebook user has experienced it, and took a screenshot of it, which Facebook later verified:

a friend sent me this: Facebook is now locking users out of account features, then demanding that those users "verify" their account to get back in by scanning an image of their face. AN IMAGE OF THEIR FACE. pic.twitter.com/T4TIsJFxX8

— can Amy Goodman pls stop inviting Assange on thx (@flexlibris) November 28, 2017

Recently, Facebook also asked users to upload nude photos of themselves if they suspect that they are a potential victim of revenge porn. With the photo, Facebook hopes to automatically identify future uploads of revenge porn-type material of the person, and block them.

As is the case with the new captcha they’re implementing, Facebook also promised to delete uploaded photos after a short while. – Rappler.com