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Magazine Photos Fool Age-verification Cameras

Posted by timothy on from the porn-magazine-photos-doubly-so dept.

gregor-e writes "Japan has scheduled a full-scale rollout of visual age-verification on cigarette vending machines. Unfortunately for them, a Sankei Sports news reporter has determined that this system can be fooled by holding up a magazine photo of an adult."

22 of 309 comments (clear)

  1. Impressive by mistersooreams · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Wow, this whole idea is fantastically stupid in so many ways. In a sense I admire the gall of whichever company sold this technology, as they must have known that it couldn't possibly work. No doubt they'll roll out some ad-hoc solution to the magazine workaround (earning themselves another hearty payday as all the machines are updated). This can be repeated for each new workaround until everyone involved retires rich and their customer is too embarrassed to admit that the whole thing was obviously a waste of money.

    At least it's a tobacco company getting shafted. Can't feel too sorry for them.

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    apterous.org
    1. Re:Impressive by Valar · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Eh, actually they don't want it to work. This way they can say "we tried to stop it from selling to kids!", but when the machine dispenses anyway they can make some extra bucks. It could easily be a way to avoid the age limits on who they can sell to.

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      ====
      Crudely Drawn Games
    2. Re:Impressive by dj_tla · · Score: 5, Funny

      Can you just imagine what Japan would be like if marijuana were legal there?

      Awesome

    3. Re:Impressive by rubberchickenboy · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Can you just imagine what Japan would be like if marijuana were legal there?

      It would be a huge improvement. I love it here in Tokyo, but sometimes it would be nice to burn one with some Japanese friends just to chill out. So many people here are overly-stressed, anxious, and unwilling to talk about it. Sure, those things are cultural, but they're also the sorts of things pot actually helps alleviate.

      What's better? The high rate of suicide in Japan? How about the high incidence of alcohol poisoning? I fail to see how pot would make things worse.

      Unfortunately, MacArthur made sure that Japanese demonize marijuana and think of it as more dangerous than heroin or cocaine.

  2. Complex systems, simple workaround by nightglider28 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It's funny when people try to create a complex system in which someone finds a tiny, simple hole. On a related note, wouldn't it be a better idea (and probably more cost effective than continual update to the security) to have some sort of ID scanner in addition to the cameras?

    1. Re:Complex systems, simple workaround by ColdWetDog · · Score: 5, Funny

      We don't sell alcohol, guns, or porno from vending machines, so why cigarettes?

      You gotta start somewhere.

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      Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
    2. Re:Complex systems, simple workaround by MilesAttacca · · Score: 5, Informative

      Actually, in Japan you can not only buy beer and pornography from vending machines, you can also buy used panties...

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      98% of America's teens drink alcohol, smoke, and have sex. Put this in your sig if you like bagels.
    3. Re:Complex systems, simple workaround by kesuki · · Score: 5, Informative

      no, the truth of the matter is, they're just panties scented with the popular perfumes that are in vogue with highschool girls, with a statement that they're used' but it's rteally just marketing, it's much cheaper to buy perfume, spray it in a pair of cheap panties and package it in a machine as 'used' panties. actually using used panties would be gross, it's all about the 'image' people think they're really used by high school girls, and the perfume makes the buyer shell out the equivalent $80 got a $4 item, they think because it's perfumed that it's been warn, especially since the machine has big signs saying so!

      most likely the item was dreamed up by some yakuza thug, of how to turn $4 into $80. I bet it's quite profitable.

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      https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html
  3. And in related news by davidwr · · Score: 5, Funny

    Japanese vending machines are now configured to dispense pictures of cigarettes.

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    Knowledge is how to play a game, intelligence is how to win, wisdom is knowing what game to play.
    1. Re:And in related news by CaptainPatent · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Even better is if the machine was re-designed to detect magazines and other pictures of people and actually did dispense pictures of cigarettes.

      The machine could even keep their money, because I doubt a teen is going to report a cigarette machine took it!

      --
      Well, back to rejecting software patent applications.
  4. Re:In Korea only old people by gEvil+(beta) · · Score: 5, Funny

    Hey now! I use magazine photos and I'm neither old nor Korean! Oh wait, what were we talking about?

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    This guy's the limit!
  5. Re:not a big surprise by cyphercell · · Score: 5, Informative

    I'm one of those adults. I'm 28 and if I walk around with a backpack on I will get pulled over for smoking. been pulled over for curfew, ditching class etc. I would be pretty annoyed if I had to carry around a fake beard just to buy cigs.

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    Under the influence of Post-Cyberpunk Gonzo Journalism
  6. Re:Cracking at its best by CaptainPatent · · Score: 5, Insightful

    BTW it is easy to fix this if the machine asks the people to move

    Or better yet, add a second eye to make sure the subject has... depth!

    --
    Well, back to rejecting software patent applications.
  7. Age-controlled vending machines have a place by davidwr · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Their place is in an age-restricted building or room.

    Cigarette vending machines in bars, casinos, adult-entertainment establishments, and other placed where Junior can't get in without bribing the doorman, er, I mean presenting a convincing fake id, are no problem.

    If they really wanted to handle this with a machine, they would make you insert your driver's license, tell you to close either your left eye or right eye or make some other facial expression at random, then compare the faces. They would double-check with the driver's license database to make sure the face on the license matched the face on record.

    Thankfully, we aren't quite to this 1984 scenario yet, but this is coming.

    --
    Knowledge is how to play a game, intelligence is how to win, wisdom is knowing what game to play.
    1. Re:Age-controlled vending machines have a place by kumanopuusan · · Score: 5, Informative
      They don't always require a license because most people don't have licenses. Getting a license is a multi-month, several thousand dollar (or several hundred thousand yen, actually) ordeal. People that don't live in rural areas don't need cars and in congestion choked cities, cars are mostly luxury items.

      The article is pretty skewed. The real story is that Taspo is starting July 1st. Taspo is a card based system that doesn't use any age verification. It's being deployed nationwide. You have to apply for a Taspo card using some form of state-issued photo identification. Maybe there's a weak link in the application procedure, but only one card is issued per person and cards that have been lost or are being abused can be disabled remotely. The article says that there will be 4000 age verification machines (in a country of 130 million), but I've never seen one. Every day, I see dozens of machines that say Taspo will be required starting July 1st. All the smokers I know have Taspo cards.

      --
      Use of the words "good", "bad" or "evil" is almost invariably the result of oversimplification.
    2. Re:Age-controlled vending machines have a place by Deagol · · Score: 5, Insightful
      Well, sure, if you're already hooked, then your points hold true. However, you truly have to be a follow-the-crowd dumb-ass to force your way through the initial phases of smoking in order to become tolerant of the practice and then become an addict. Unlike like other addictions (such as chocolate, whippets, or booze) which are *initially* pleasurable, a first time smoker's response of usually one of distaste.

      Ever wonder why so many movies or TV shows portray this scene:
      1. Some bad boy/girl wannabe lights up their first smoke
      2. They choke and cough, being generally shocked at how awful it is
      3. They are then ridiculed by the veteran bad boys/girls who do smoke

      This is such a common theme because -- wait for it -- the short-term instincts of animals tells them that smoke (or its source) is hazardous to the animal's health or well-being.

      I'm about as anti nanny state as most people get. The poster who offered me the friendly "fuck you" totally missed the point. I don't wish to curb such self destructive behavior -- more power to those who enjoy it, so long as it doesn't negatively affect my own health, taxes, or insurance premiums. I just want smokers to acknowledge their habit is about as rational as shitting in their own water supply or jumping from cliffs.

      --
      Method of processing duck feet
    3. Re:Age-controlled vending machines have a place by greyhueofdoubt · · Score: 5, Funny

      >>...stay away from computers to prevent blindness...

      Wait, computers make you go blind? I thought the only thing that made you blind was masterb... OOOHHHHH I get it.

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      No offense, but I've stopped responding to AC's.
  8. Re:Cracking at its best by FooAtWFU · · Score: 5, Funny

    Goodbye old-people photos, hello old-people masks?

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    The World Wide Web is dying. Soon, we shall have only the Internet.
  9. Re:Yes it would, and yes they do... by imipak · · Score: 5, Funny

    And who in their right mind is going to click a link to "pinktentacle.com"?! Some of us read Slashdot from work you know...

  10. Re:Yes it would, and yes they do... by im_thatoneguy · · Score: 5, Funny

    In the real world, people don't just work M-F 9-5.

    If they're making you work weekends the least they could do is let you look at a little pinktentacle.com

  11. Re:not a big surprise by santiam · · Score: 5, Funny

    I had to carry around a fake beard just to buy cigs.
    --
    I quit sigs.



    You should quit cigs too.

  12. Easy Fix! by MWoody · · Score: 5, Funny

    The solution is obvious: make it illegal to sell magazines with pictures of adults to minors.