Are face-swapping photos about to go mainstream?

Fun photo filtering and editing app Masquerade has just been snapped up by Facebook

The world's largest social network has a talent for spotting the next big thing - from Oculus Rift virtual reality to Instagram and WhatsApp. So the fact that it's paid an undisclosed sum for Masquerade suggests that making comedy videos and bizarre photos and sharing them on social networks is about to go global.

In a blogpost announcing the deal, Masquerade CEO, Eugene Nevgen said "We've worked hard to make video more fun and engaging by creating filters that enhance and alter your appearance. Now, we're excited to join forces with Facebook and bring the technology to even more people."

However, he also made it clear that although the filters and editing tools look destined for integration into Facebook's other offerings that Masquerade will remain as a standalone app. "[It] will stay up and running so you'll continue to record fun selfies and keep using the product. You can also expect us to keep adding fun features," he said.