Naughty pictures and Facebook are not two things you’d usually want to associate with one another.
But the social network is asking users to send their sexy snaps in, to test a new anti-revenge porn technology.
The technology uses image recognition to identify revenge porn and automatically delete it.
It is currently being tested in Australia, although it is unclear when or if Facebook plans to roll it out to all users.
Facebook is asking users to send their sexy snaps in, to test a new anti-revenge porn technology. The technology uses image recognition to identify revenge porn and automatically delete it (stock image)
Facebook is testing the system with the help of the Office of the eSafety Commissioner.
Speaking to ABC News, Julie Inman Grant, e-Safety Commissioner, said: ‘We see many scenarios where maybe photos or videos were taken consensually at one point, but there was not any sort of consent to send the images or videos more broadly.’
She added that victims of this ‘image-based abuse’ would be able to take action before photos were posted to Facebook, Instagram or Messenger.
The trial requires users to send naughty pictures to themselves via Facebook Messenger.
Ms Inman Grant said: ‘It would be like sending yourself your image in email, but obviously this is a much safer, secure end-to-end way of sending the image without sending it through the ether.’
Once the image has been sent, Facebook will then ‘hash’ the image – create a digital fingerprint or link.
Ms Inman Grant explained: ‘They’re not storing the image, they’re storing the link and using artificial intelligence and other photo-matching technologies.
‘So if somebody tried to upload that same image, which would have the same digital footprint or hash value, it will be prevented from being uploaded.’
If the technology works as expected, the photo should never appear on Facebook – even if a jealous ex tries to upload it.
Antigone Davis, head of global safety at Facebook, reassured that ‘the safety and well-being of the Facebook community is our top priority’
Antigone Davis, head of global safety at Facebook, reassured that ‘the safety and well-being of the Facebook community is our top priority.’
She added: ‘As part of our continued efforts to better detect and remove content that violates our community standards, we’re using image matching technology to prevent non-consensual intimate images from being shared on Facebook.
‘These tools, developed in partnership with global safety experts, are one example of how we’re using new technology to keep people safe and prevent harm.’