Following in the footsteps of Apple’s Face ID, Facebook has now announced that they are testing ways for users to regain access to their account if they are locked out. This would be useful for when two-factor authentication is unavailable (such as while travelling on a plane) or if you’ve lost access to your email account.
When asked for confirmation from Facebook the company sent TNW’S Matt Navarra a screenshot of the feature:
“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.”
If the feature proves helpful to users, and is not easily duped by hackers, its likely that the company will begin rolling it out sometime in the near future.
This is only one of the most recent ways that Facebook has tried over the past few years to help users get back into a locked account. In some cases it will ask you to identify photos of your friends or allow you to designate several trusted friends who will receive a code to allow them to unlock your account. The company has received backlash for such attempts in the past but this new technology would be completely private to you therefore should not endanger any privacy concerns.
Of course, in the same vein as Apple’s recent Face ID feature, anything that uses biometric data will give come with some concerns. However, if Facebook’s attempt means that you can get back into your account and repair any damage done by a hacker it’s more likely that users will be comfortable using it.
