A fake facial recognition app that claimed smartphone users would soon be able to identify complete strangers has turned out to be a publicity stunt.

Facezam claimed all the user had to do is take a picture of someone and then the app would scan millions of profile photos on Facebook to identify them.

Creators claimed it was inspired by the music lookup service, Shazam, which can tell people the name of a song after just a few seconds.

Before the hoax was revealed Facebook claimed the app violated their privacy policy, according to the Telegraph.

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The Facezam app, which has now been revealed to be a hoax, claimed it could scan millions of Facebook profile images in a matter of seconds

WHAT DID THEY CLAIM? The app claimed all you had to do was take a picture of someone - this could even be a total stranger on the street. Users could then run the image through the app. It claimed it could scan millions of Facebook profile images in a matter of seconds. Advertisement

The fake facial recognition app Facezam claimed it could identify anyone - provided they had a Facebook profile.

The app creator said all you had to do was snap someone in the street and then put it through the app, which would tell you who it was, wrote theTelegraph.

'People trust us to protect their privacy and keep their information safe. This activity would violate our terms', said a Facebook spokesperson.

Rob Sherman Facebook’s Deputy Chief Privacy Officer tweeted; 'This app was a hoax to get attention, not a real product. (And yes, we have technical limitations in addition to policy.)'

The app claimed to be able to scan millions of Facebook profile images in a matter of seconds.

On the website, it said it had been tested on more than 10,000 images and could identify people 70 per cent of the time.

'Facezam could be the end of our anonymous societies,' Mr Kenyon, the British entrepreneur who said he founded it, told the Telegraph before the hoax was revealed.

'Users will be able to identify anyone within a matter of seconds, which means privacy will no longer exist in public society.'

The fake facial recognition app created by a British entrepreneur Jack Kenyon claimed to identify anyone with a Facebook profile. The app said it was due to launch on 21 March on iOS

FACE RECOGNITION TECHNOLOGY Facial scanning technology is increasingly being used by big tech firms such as Snapchat with its filters that scan the users face before adding comical features. Facebook has experimented with similar technology which can be used to automatically suggest tags for photos. Last year the social media firm purchased FacioMetrics, a facial recognition software firm, in a push to integrate the technology further into the platform. By scanning the faces of millions of users around the world, the software could measure reactions to develop gesture-based controls, such as smiling for a like. Advertisement

Mr Kenyon claimed at the time that there was no issue with the app violating people's privacy.

'We've looked into this, and are confident the app won't be violating Facebook's terms,' he said.

The app claimed there was no way for the privacy-conscious to remove themselves.

Although this app turned out to be a hoax, facial recognition technology is becoming increasingly big business.

Facial scanning technology is being used by big tech firms such as Snapchat with its filters that scan the users face before adding comical features.

Facebook has experimented with similar technology which can be used to automatically suggest tags for photos.

Last year the social media firm purchased FacioMetrics, a facial recognition software firm, in a push to integrate the technology further into the platform.

By scanning the faces of millions of users around the world, the software could measure reactions to develop gesture-based controls, such as smiling for a like.

Facial recognition has been used in a number of guises on smartphone platforms before now and although this latest release was a hoax it seems developing facial recognition technology is on the rise.