Facebook facial recognition system scans your profile picture and images you're tagged in

It could be useful, but might also be seen as creepy

The Facebook logo is seen on an Apple iPhone on 28 August, 2017 (Getty)

Users can now access their Facebook accounts by scanning their face.

The social network has embraced facial recognition technology, and has started using a new system to help people keep their accounts secure.

The social network will ask you to look into your device’s camera, and verify it’s really you that’s trying to sign in to your account by comparing the scan with pictures and videos you’re already tagged in.

(Twitter/@MattNavarra (Twitter/@MattNavarra)

Screenshots of the system, which appears to be an optional alternative to two-factor authentication, have been posted to Twitter by The Next Web’s Matt Navarra.

“To recognize whether you’re in a photo or video our system compares it with your profile picture, and photos and videos that you’re tagged in,” reads a new Face Recognition section in Facebook's Settings.

“This lets us know when you’re in other photos and videos so we can create better experience.”

According to TechCrunch, Facebook says the system lets users “quickly and easily verify account ownership during the account recovery process”.

That means it might not be designed as a like-for-like replacement for the standard password, instead functioning as an easy way to recover and sign in to an account you've been locked out of.

It’s currently in testing and, as such, isn’t available to all users yet. This, however, is likely to change if the technology works effectively.

The move doesn’t come as a huge surprise, with more and more companies embracing facial recognition.

Apple became one of the latest recently, including it on the upcoming iPhone X at the expense of TouchID.