![\"Masquerade](\"http:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/624\/cpsprodpb\/15192\/production\/_88681468_masq.jpg\")
<\/span><\/figure>\nFace-changing apps gained popularity after instant messaging app Snapchat added live filters called lenses in 2015.<\/p>\n
The face-swap filter, which switches two people’s faces with often alarming results, has become a particular favourite on social media.<\/p>\n
“I think Facebook has realised Snapchat has something it doesn’t,” said David Wilkinson, managing partner at digital consultancy Soho Strategy.<\/p>\n
“A lot of people share filtered selfie videos, so I think we can expect to see this integrated into Facebook’s Messenger platform.<\/p>\n
“Snapchat has its own USP as an ephemeral messaging platform, but for the novelty factor people might just use Facebook’s built-in filters.”<\/p>\n
In 2013, Facebook tried to take over Snapchat for $3bn, but the instant messaging firm rejected the offer, according to the Wall Street Journal.<\/p>\n
Facebook has not disclosed how much it has paid for Belarus-based Masquerade, but said it would keep the app running as a standalone program, as well as integrating features with its social network.<\/p>\n
“Masquerade has great technology to help us bring even more creative tools to Facebook, and help extend this work to video,” the company said in a statement.<\/p>\n
–<\/p>\n
Source: BBC<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Facebook has bought photo-editing app Masquerade, which lets people change their appearance in real-time. The app can transform faces – often in a cartoon-like fashion – and overlay make-up, animal features or accessories on live video. Masquerade’s filters have been compared to those in rival Snapchat, which Facebook tried to buy in 2013. One expert […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[106],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n