2021: Meta deleted over a billion faceprints after a class action lawsuit alleged it collected biometric data without consent. They called it "an important step" in privacy. 2024: Meta settled Texas's facial recognition lawsuit for $1.4 billion. The largest biometric privacy settlement in US history. 2026: Meta launches a facial recognition system for every Facebook user. They deleted a billion faceprints. paid $1.4 billion in fines. then built it again. Meta buried the announcement inside a post about Facebook Marketplace's 10th anniversary. five paragraphs about buying and selling furniture. then: "oh and starting Monday, video selfie verification for everyone." The product is described as "free" and "optional" to get the badge. But the feature that makes it work, facial recognition that matches your selfie against every photo you've ever posted on Facebook, is not optional. It runs when you submit. Meta says the video selfie is deleted after verification. They also said, "We do not use your photos to build or improve facial recognition systems." This is the company that paid $1.4 billion to do exactly that without telling anyone.