Would YOU trust Facebook with your nude photos? Firm is ridiculed for expanding its 'revenge porn' trial in which users are asked to submit their sexy snaps before jilted lovers can upload them

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Facebook is asking its users to send in naked pictures of themselves so the site can protect them from revenge porn attacks.

The social media giant has extended its trial in which users send in images if they're worried they might be shared so Facebook can block them at the source.

Employees at the firm view the lewd shots before blurring them out and creating a 'digital fingerprint'.

Image recognition technology uses this marker to block the image from being uploaded to Instagram, Facebook and Messenger.

Facebook has announced it is updating the revenge porn project to cover users in Canada, the UK and US after a successful trial in Australia.

The firm has been ridiculed on social media, with many users expressing concerns that Facebook employees will have access to users' intimate images.

Others joked that the move was poorly timed following the Cambridge Analytica scandal in which the data of millions of Facebook users was leaked by the company without their consent. 

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Facebook is asking its users to send in naked pictures of themselves so the site can protect them from revenge porn attacks. The firm has been ridiculed on social media, with many users expressing concerns that Facebook employees will have access to users' intimate images

Employees at the firm view the lewd shots before blurring them out and creating a 'digital fingerprint'. Users on Twitter reacted with great suspicion

As with the Australia pilot, which launched in November 2017, Facebook will work with local anti-revenge porn groups to implement the new systems.

In a post on Tuesday, Facebook's Global Head of Safety Antigone Davis wrote: 'It's demeaning and devastating when someone's intimate images are shared without their permission, and we want to do everything we can to help victims of this abuse.

'We're now partnering with safety organisations on a way for people to securely submit photos they fear will be shared without their consent, so we can block them from being uploaded to Facebook, Instagram and Messenger.

'This pilot program, starting in Australia, Canada, the UK and US, expands on existing tools for people to report this content to us if it's already been shared.'

Normally revenge porn victims have to wait until an image is uploaded before reporting it to Facebook.

But the new programme means they can contact a national safety organisation to have it blocked on the platform.

Twitter user Amanda Katz highlighted the irony that Facebook was asking its users to submit naked photos in order to combat revenge porn

Twitter users reacted to Facebook's announcement it would use 'specially trained' agents to review photo submissions

These organisations include the UK Revenge Porn Helpline in Britain and the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative and The National Network to End Domestic Violence in the US.

Users worried about an intimate image being uploaded can fill out a form with the relevant authority, after which they will receive a one-time link to upload it.

A 'specifically trained member' of Facebook's community operations team will then manually review images to ensure they violate the company's guidelines.

Facebook is updating its revenge porn programme to cover users in Canada, the UK and US after a successful trial in Australia. In a post on Tuesday, Facebook's Global Head of Safety said it's 'devestating' when someone's intimate imagesare shared without their permission

The images are then blurred out before they are eventually deleted, with the site only processing the picture through its AI systems from that point.

Facebook's systems 'hash' the image, creating a digital fingerprint, before the original picture is deleted.

Facebook stores the images for seven days before it discards them and retains only the identifying hashes.

If the technology works as expected, the photo should never appear on Facebook – even if a jealous ex tries to upload it.

Facebook has extended its programme in which users send in images if they're worried they might be shared so Facebook can block it at source (stock)

Ms Davis wrote: 'My team and I have traveled to nine countries across four continents, listening to stories about the abuse and cruelty that women face online. 

'From Kenya to Sweden, women shared their painful, eye-opening experiences about having their most intimate moments shared without permission.

'From anxiety and depression to the loss of a personal relationship or a job, this violation of privacy can be devastating.

Following Facebook's announcement of the programme in November, social media erupted in response on Twitter. Tony Matthew‏ said: 'No company should ever ask anyone for nude pics to "safeguard" under the guise of protection from revenge porn'

'And while these images, also referred to as “revenge porn” or “non-consensual pornography,” harm people of all genders, ages and sexual-orientations, women are nearly twice as likely as men to be targeted.' 

Users reacted hilariously to the news on social media, with many criticising the firm's decision to run naked images past human employees.

User @bigratsgoboom wrote: 'Facebook: We're having a PR problem where people don't trust us. Let's fight revenge porn! Users just need to provide us their intimate photos...'

@bookofruthless joked: 'I see literally no way in which this can possibly under any circumstances go awry'.

Mr Gillespie‏ added: 'Facebook themselves have perverts hiding in their closets. They would just love a nude collection of its users, with an excellent cover story about protecting people from revenge porn! #PervBook'

User @galyonkin wrote: 'Nice try, "specially-trained" Facebook representatives.'

When news broke of the pilot scheme in November 2017, users erupted in outrage to the plans on Twitter.

Many of the concerns revolved around people, rather than machines, having access to the images.

Others worried over the effectiveness of the protection efforts, as well as the potential for the sensitive pictures leaking online.

Tony Matthew‏ said: 'No company should ever ask anyone for nude pics to 'safeguard' under the guise of protection from revenge porn. 

Laura E Wendt said: 'Another solid reason to #quitFacebook. Facebook asks users for nude photos in project to combat revenge porn'

'Hackers can hack. Disgruntled employees can leak.'

Eleonora H said: 'I wish this was a joke.

'Facebook's idea of "protecting people" from revenge porn: send the company your nude pictures.'

Mr Gillespie‏ added: 'Facebook themselves have perverts hiding in their closets. 

'They would just love a nude collection of its users, with an excellent cover story about protecting people from revenge porn! #PervBook.'  

Eleonora H said: 'I wish this was a joke. Facebook's idea of 'protecting people' from revenge porn: send the company your nude pictures'

The programme launched in Australia - a world leader in efforts to combat revenge porn. 

A recent survey by the commission showed one in five Australian women aged 18 to 45 suffered image-based abuse.

Facebook and its Messenger app accounted for 53 per cent of revenge porn, followed by Snapchat at 11 per cent then Instagram at four percent.

Research by Melbourne's Monash University and RMIT University earlier this year found people were falling prey to abusive behaviour on a 'mass scale', and that men and women were equally likely to be targeted.