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FACEBOOK CAN ALREADY suggest people to tag on photos based on its facial recognition technology, but it’s working on a way to recognise people without relying on it.
An experimental algorithm from Facebook’s artificial intelligence lab can recognise people in photographs even if their faces aren’t visible. The algorithm, reported by New Scientist, looks for other noticeable features like hairstyle, body shape, clothes, and pose to identify a person.
The research team behind the experiment took almost 40,000 public photos from Flickr and ran them through the software. Some of the photos had people with their faces fully visible while others photos had people turned away from the camera.
The final result was the algorithm was able to recognise people with 83% accuracy.
Last week, Facebook released an app in the US which uses facial recognition to identify people. Its Moments app scans your phone’s photos to find friends and moments, and groups them based on who’s in the photo, where they were taken and when they were taken.
The app won’t be released in Europe as there’s no opt-in feature, and Facebook must reach an agreement with the Irish regulator on how to offer the feature to EU residents before it can do so.
In its annual report released today, the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner briefly mentioned the service, saying it had “continuing engagement” with Facebook Ireland before any new feature was introduced last year.
[We had] continuing engagement with Facebook Ireland prior to the introduction of new features, alterations to existing features, privacy settings and controls for individuals, advertising functions and the recent launch of its new “Terms and Conditions” in January 2015.
This included legal and technical examinations of the “user facing elements” of Facebook’s offering, and the organisational and technical processing that goes on behind the scenes. In addition, a substantial on-site review of audit recommendations took place in mid-2014.
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I wonder how long it will be before “Big Brother” starts using the algorithm in it’s street cameras…. scary stuff really
What makes you think that they’re not doing this already?
Sure aren’t they using facial recognition for years… its only a step up from that…
Mahon Point in Cork had a facial recognition system in place when they opened in 2005. Not sure if they are still using it. I remember security being super happy with it as they escorted people flagged up on the system out of the building.
There’s a big difference from being recognised from your face to “recognition” from the way you stand. Physical movements can be copied and imitated so you could find yourself “identified” doing something illegal even if if it wasn’t you by the way someone moved or stood. It may find far fetched but the more we rely on tech to do enforcement the less it is questioned. (Yes I do have a foil hat, but I don’t wear it all the time:-))
Well, I do have a very distinctive arse.
Me too! :-)
I wonder does this work with video too? If it sees a former us Vice President dancing, does the Al Gore rhythm work?
Virtual high five! :-)
Yet another reason to ditch Facebook or at least get rid of all your personal pics and adjust your privacy settings to the highest possible.
And yet CCTV just shows a blur you can barely make out as human. Amazing that such software is used to identify you on social media where it is completely unnecessary but we can’t identify criminals.
That’s because a lot of the cctv systems used by private companies are antiquated, as the companies either can’t or won’t spend the money to upgrade them. Facial recognition software is available, but it’s expensive.
There are some companies that invest heavily in security systems. Used to work in a Tesco part time when I was in college in the early noughties. Got an unofficial tour of the security room one day by the Robocop security guard. Definitely not place to engage in a bit of shoplifting. You could zoom in and read the newspapers which were sitting on the shelves. They also have a number plate scanner at the entrance and exit. Black listed number plates set off an alarm if a previous shoplifter drives in the gate. I wouldn’t be surprised if they invested in facial recognition by now.
This is disturbing.
It would appear as though you don’t support this.
Star Wars Episode IV: “I find your lack of faith disturbing” – YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zzs-OvfG8tE
Great – one more nail in their coffin.
In related news, things are indeed getting pretty creepy, and without much oversight either.
P
Privacy is a thing of the past .
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