Facebook acquires facial recognition company to rival Snapchat
Facebook has purchased facial recognition company FacioMetrics to apply its technology to the social network’s photos and videos in an attempt to rival Snapchat. Created by Carnegie Mellon students, the app uses machine learning algorithms to analyse faces in real time and create augmented reality and animated additions. Facebook has made several acquisitions to compete with Snapchat, the latest being face-swapping app MSQRD, and it is beta testing facial recognition in its main mobile app.

Facebook has scooped up another facial recognition startup to help bolster its photo and video ambitions. The company, called FacioMetrics, was started by Carnegie Mellon students last year and it specialized in using machine learning algorithms to let smartphones analyze faces in real time through the frame of a camera. In a statement obtained by VentureBeat, Facebook says the company “will help bring more fun effects to photos and videos,” which includes the real-time filters, effects, and face-swapping tools now commonplace in social apps, namely Snapchat.

“We started FacioMetrics to respond to the increasing interest and demand for facial image analysis — with all kinds of applications including augmented/virtual reality, animation, audience reaction measurement, and others,” writes founder and CEO Fernando De La Torre on the startup’s website. “Now, we’re taking a big step forward by joining the team at Facebook, where we’ll be able to advance our work at an incredible scale, reaching people from across the globe.”

Facebook continues to acquire talent in the facial recognition space