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Hacking Big Brother With Help From Revlon

skids writes "All those futuristic full-face eyeliner jobs in dystopian cyberpunk fiction might not be that far off the mark. A New York University student spent his thesis time exploring computer vision technology (OpenCV) for ways in which one could confound first-stage algorithms that initially lock onto faces. Then he mixed in a bit of fashion sense to predict future geek chic. Now, whether you want to go for the coal-miner look just to stay out of the data mine, that's up to you."

22 of 71 comments (clear)

  1. "Coal-miner look"? by gront · · Score: 2, Interesting

    No, if you read TFA, its more of a mad-max bad 80s thunderdome / ww1 dazzle / ranger camouflage than blackface or a football player's mascara.

  2. Hack the Gibson by iSzabo · · Score: 2

    So this stuff I've been wearing serves a purpose? Cool!

    1. Re:Hack the Gibson by kaizokuace · · Score: 4, Insightful

      one step closer to living in the world of Hackers. Just gotta find my old roller blades now...

      --
      Balderdash!
  3. Reverse Engineering? by phantomcircuit · · Score: 4, Funny

    Harvey's research involves the reverse engineering of OpenCV, which its creators describe as an open-source "library of programming functions for real-time computer vision."

    Oh the reg whatever shall we do with you...

  4. Re:really? by Jmanamj · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The point is, there's an endless variation of disguises you can use to thwart the software as long as certain programed traits it looks for (darkness above eyes/lighter nose and cheekbones/symmetry) are thrown off by face markings and hairstyles. I think this would be cooler with glowing phosphorescent paint, but I think the point is to blend in so the software doesnt look too closely at you.

  5. God of War and Privacy by jeko · · Score: 4, Funny

    Kratos laughs at your facial recognition software.

    --
    He put his boots up on the table and made a face. "The sig," he smirked. "You can waste your life in search of the sig."
  6. Weird Title by RobinEggs · · Score: 5, Insightful

    There's no hacking involved, and the word hacking wasn't even necessary for sensationalism's sake. Seriously, I know people write misleading headlines to get eyeballs, but a perfectly accurate title could have been just as enticing: how about "Evading Big Brother with Help from Revlon?" Isn't evading about as interesting as hacking, Big Brother-wise?

    Even when they could be honest, accurate, and interesting the Slashdot editors simply don't bother. Why?

    1. Re:Weird Title by biryokumaru · · Score: 2, Funny

      Now, I didn't RTFA or RTFS, but I did RTFH, and I'm pretty sure this story is about using lipstick to write an SQL injection attack directly across your face. I mean, duh.

      Why don't you try to RTFH sometime?

      --
      When you're afraid to download music illegally in your own home, then the terrorists have won!
  7. A pirate patch? by sznupi · · Score: 4, Funny

    Seems to me an aeasthetic patch covering one eye could work just as well - if not better. Plus it's relativelly less conspicuous (especially for a man)...and you might always need some medical procedure requiring later covering of one eye, right?

    PS. Harrrr!

    --
    One that hath name thou can not otter
  8. Future geek chic ... this chick has it right ... by PolygamousRanchKid+ · · Score: 2, Interesting

    From our "How to look non-conspicuous department": http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ground/images/paint-992000a.jpg

    --
    Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!
  9. Just wear a mask by VocationalZero · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Whatever happened to just wearing a ski mask when committing a "crime"? I'm not sure I'd feel less silly painting my face than simply putting on a mask.

    Whats the point of bypassing facial recognition if you've still been recorded in a manner that could identify you? It would help abate real-time face-triggered alerts, but not much else.

    If people start doing this, I predict it would only be a matter of time before the police would categorize anyone with a painted face as a possible terrorist threat, such as how the ski mask is considered now.

    1. Re:Just wear a mask by blair1q · · Score: 4, Insightful

      The police, and policy in general, are simple:

      1. Ignore something.
      2. If there's a crime associated with it, stop ignoring it, and start treating it as the crime.
      3. Ignore something else.

      And so on.

    2. Re:Just wear a mask by coaxial · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Whatever happened to just wearing a ski mask when committing a "crime"? I'm not sure I'd feel less silly painting my face than simply putting on a mask.

      Not just any mask...

  10. Hollywood Masquerade by cosm · · Score: 3, Funny

    I think it would be hilarious for criminals to just wear Halloween masks of celebrities. Did Justin Bieber rob 62 banks last week? Did Britney Spears steal a carton of Newports in 8 different states in two days? Sure would put new meaning on the american people being robbed. CNN: "Did President Obama rob 1000 people today? Facial recognition technology tips off authorities."

    Hey, I am just a guy asking questions. What were we talking about again?

    --
    'We are trying to prove ourselves wrong as quickly as possible, because only in that way can we find progress.' RPF
  11. Re:really? by publiclurker · · Score: 2

    Do any of these cameras use infrared lighting? If so, you could come up with makeup that is normally invisible, but shows up just enough on the cameras to fool them.

  12. This passes for thesis research these days? by timmarhy · · Score: 2, Insightful
    Seriously, no wonder universities are producing so many substandard graduates these days, the standards seem to be inversely proportional to the fee's they charge.

    When hiring I hardly give that $100,000 education any weight at all, unless they have on the job experience they've applied it to, and their references can back that up.

    --
    If you mod me down, I will become more powerful than you can imagine....
  13. Re:really? by EdZ · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I wonder how common nIR graffiti is? It would be visible in 'night vision' CCTV cameras, and often to regular CCD and CMOS cameras with poor filters, but invisible to the naked eye.

    In fact, it's incredibly easy to swap the nIR blocking filter in a cheap camera for an IR-pass/optically opaque filter. Leaving invisible notes for people could be pretty fun.

  14. Re:What about thermal imaging? by sowth · · Score: 2, Funny

    It's easy to defeat a thermal imaging camera. Just call in Natalie Portman with her hot grits, and every system is overloaded.

  15. CAPTCHA by Voltara · · Score: 2, Interesting

    So, in other words, this is the facial recognition equivalent of a CAPTCHA?

  16. Boot Camp 101 by flyingfsck · · Score: 4, Informative

    He 'discovered' basic camoflage:
    Diagonal lines confuses facial recognision in humans too.

    Anyone that has been in the Military/Police could have told him that.

    --
    Excuse me, but please get off my Pennisetum Clandestinum, eh!
  17. ????WTF?????..... by rts008 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    This is the essence of true 'hacking'.

    It's not all about 'computers' on 'the internets'.

    He is definitely 'hacking' the facial recognition system to give interested parties the ability to avoid/negate it.

    Ascribe to the Newspeak, imbibe that Koolaide, let the popular Media 'teach' you, and keep you informed...

    Oh yeah,...GET OFF MY LAWN, YOU PUNKS!!!!

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    Down With Slashdot BETA!!! I've been around the corner and seen the oliphant; you can only abuse me from your perspecti