Rumor: Apple to acquire facial recognition company

Apple has acquired an Israeli facial recognition company, a business newspaper reported. The company called Realface develops techniques that allow users to use their face for authentication.

The news comes from the business newspaper Calcalist, which writes that “several millions of dollars” were involved in the acquisition. Realface, founded in 2014, would have a total of five employees and perform facial recognition based on deep learning. Apple has not yet commented on the news. The company usually does not provide any substantive explanation of its acquisitions. The Realface site is no longer online.

Earlier this year, rumors emerged that Apple is working on facial recognition as an alternative way of logging in. This method should replace the fingerprint scanner in the long run. In this area, Apple may be working on a new form of Touch ID, where the fingerprint recognition sensor is placed behind the screen.

Apple has previously acquired Israeli companies. In 2011, that was flash technology company Anobit, in 2013 Kinect developer PrimeSense and in 2015 it took over LinX, which develops high-end camera modules.