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German Art Activists Get Passport Using Digitally Altered Photo of Two Women Merged Together (vice.com)
An anonymous reader shares a report: Last month, an activist from the German art collective Peng! walked into her local government office in Berlin and applied for a new passport. "I probably have broken the law," the woman, a chemist living in the Western Saxony region, told Motherboard, "but our lawyers don't know which one." The woman applied for a passport using a photo of two separate people. Using specialized software created by Peng!, the collective merged the facial vectors from two different faces from two different images into one. Billie Hoffman (a pseudonym used by everyone in the Peng! Collective when talking to journalists), she told me how easy the whole process was: "Officials didn't mention fraud at any point." Hoffman's passport application was approved, and now she has an official German passport using the digitally altered photo. The photo is half her, half Federica Mogherini, an Italian politician who is the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. "The software calculated an authentic average of the faces and that's it," Hoffmann recalls.
Hoffman's passport is part of an artwork called "Mask ID," a campaign that's encouraging ordinary citizens to "flood government databases with misinformation" and disrupt mass surveillance programs. Ironically, the project is funded by the Bundeskulturstiftung, the German Federal cultural fund, part one was recently on show in Hamburg accompanied by a photo booth where anyone could upload their image and create their own distorted passport picture in an attempt to confuse government surveillance and circumnavigate facial recognition software. "Passports are tools of oppression" another member of the collective who declined to give me their real name told me.
Hoffman's passport is part of an artwork called "Mask ID," a campaign that's encouraging ordinary citizens to "flood government databases with misinformation" and disrupt mass surveillance programs. Ironically, the project is funded by the Bundeskulturstiftung, the German Federal cultural fund, part one was recently on show in Hamburg accompanied by a photo booth where anyone could upload their image and create their own distorted passport picture in an attempt to confuse government surveillance and circumnavigate facial recognition software. "Passports are tools of oppression" another member of the collective who declined to give me their real name told me.
It's literally all fun and games until someone literally gets hurt ... again ...
Border control will come to matter to you at some point, but it might be too late :(
I am dumber for reading this (and that is pretty hard to do for me). WHen you get a passport, the photo is supposed to resemble you, or the person issuing the passport shouldn't give you one. So either the photo looks like her, or the guy giving out the passport wasn't paying attention. Either way, this is dumb, because you are just setting yourself up for problems down the road when some border control guy doesn't think you look like your passport and won't let you in.
Or at least damage done?
I mean the point of this was obviously not to harm anyone, but quite the opposite.
It makes sense that this should not be allowed.
But it's also not a crime. Not only was nobody damaged, but nobody would have been damaged, and no such thing was intended.
Ok, ok, I know... In my idealistic reality, yes, but not in the utterly batshit insane world everyone keeps allowing, accepting, enabling and fostering nowadays, as if it was normal. ... Another reason why I own a "It is wrong to be human" t-shirt.
Seriously, I'm all for well poisoning. But your passport?
It's not like that's the only, or definitive, picture the government has of you.
You want to poison government and corporate data wells, but not in a way that flags your record for extra attention.
John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
I can't be bothered to RTFA, but as near as I can tell they submitted (albeit through fancy hocus pocus digital means) digitally altered images which probably would fool face recognition SW, but not a human being. I mean, I go to get my passport, and I submit my pictures (along, I think, with my gov't issued ID, which also has a picture on it - but it's been a long time since I renewed a passport so I'm not sure) and the person taking the various forms looks at me, and looks at my ID, and presumably looks at my picture, and if those three things don't match in their eyes, I've got a problem. So, congratulations, they've created a photo that looks enough like them that a human doesn't make a fuss. If fooling facial recognition SW was your goal, you could also squint in the photo, or just part your hair the other way - or am I grossly wrong about the "AI" level of facial recognition SW?
A group od czech artists did something similar 8 years ago https://artoftheprank.com/2010...
Drivers licenses were invented as a means to discriminate against motor vehicle operators and until the late 1960s there were states with no testing requirements. Today drivers licenses are also being utilized (on top of passports) to control peoples movement both inside and outside of countries. The United States on top of individual states target people who have committed or otherwise are accused of various "crimes" by suspending passports and drivers licenses for non-violent "offenses". It should be apparent to everyone whose driven a vehicle that testing doesn't work to make our roads safer. Being able to pass a test does not make one a safe driver. The main things that make someone a safe driver include: Following the protocols of the road, paying attention, etc. You can't solve that with testing.
License plates may have once been argued as a means of vehicle recovery and as a theft prevention measure. The reality today is they are being used to track people. Both government and non-government entities are persecuting individuals who have done no wrong. Better and more reliable solutions exist today for vehicle recovery such as GPS tracking.
For passport applications performed in person - change the passport application process so that the picture is taken by the passport delivering authorities - Similar pictures are taken when entering many countries like the U.S. and every European passport already has the passport authorities taking fingerprints.
For mailed in passport renewal applications, make doctoring the picture cause for revocation, force people to pick up their passports in person and only deliver them if the picture is a close match to the applicant and apply a temporary ban on re-applying for a new passport when people attempting to subvert the process are detected.
What? This is overly burdensome? Well subverting the utility of passports by doctoring the pictures has a cost too and it seems to me that making sure that MY right to travel isn't being called into question by these idiots is worth some bother.
Democracy is a sheep and two wolves deciding what to have for lunch. Freedom is a well armed sheep contesting the issue
I don't know what your driver's test looked like but mine had two phases.. The written part where I demonstrated I had basic knowledge of traffic laws and vehicle operations. Then the practical driving test where I demonstrated a number of basic skills, like staying in my line, making safe right and left turns, backing up while following the necessary traffic laws.
Driver's tests are designed to verify you have a minimum of proficiency, coordination, mental capacity and skill to handle a vehicle. Which sure sounds like a good idea to me because some folks just are not safe out there even with the tests. The purpose of the tests isn't to control you but to make sure you are capable.
Your complaint about taking ones driver's license doesn't wash with me. Usually this only involves situations where driving might be impaired, such as DWI convictions, seriously violating the traffic law; demonstrating a level or recklessness that makes you unsafe on the road and the like.
is to setup kiosks for opting out of mass surveillance which get you to upload your own photo. just saying.
"Passports are tools of oppression"
Really ?
"Don't tell me what to do !" "I do what I want !" "You're only trying to stop us from having fun !" "Passports are tools of oppression !"
Grow the fuck up, stupid libertarian retards. It's called "civilization". The alternatives are tribalism, barbarism and savagery. Take your pick.
And get off my fucking lawn.
... and advocated back in the day when Facebook got uptight about, Merged Women and oh wait ...
It was about photos showing breasts.
Down went Breast Feeding Moms, Breast Cancer, Breast self-checks ... you name it.
A bunch of us encouraged any and all Facebook members to post breast pictures wrapped in art or social issues but Facebook pulled out early.
I was glad, but some women had a problem with it on another level.
It little behooves the best of us to comment on the rest of us.
The face looks like her (to a human), but the biometrics don't match very well.
Well hopefully the border control isn't using biometrics to match the photo against the person.
Where the biometrics is going to come in is when the Border Patrol uses biometrics to compare the person traveling to the photo on the passport, to verify that the person on the passport is actually the person traveling.
Basically, the question here is whether she will be able to travel using that digitally-altered passport.
The advantage to her is that if passport photos are sent to a government database of faces that is distributed to facial-recognition systems (say, looking at images from security cameras), she won't be recognized, and thus her movements won't be picked up and tracked.
What, you're not going to ask me for my drivers license, social security number, credit card info, and bank account info, too?
Totally legit
The photo is half her, half Federica Mogherini, an Italian politician who is the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.
Wow, doesn't seem like a smart idea to present ID wherever you travel that will hit with relatively high confidence on image recognition databases that may be looking for a high level EU representative on security policy at loose ends with no security detail...
Sounds in fact like a great way to be disappeared and show up on grainy videos later with people who are not very big fans of the EU.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
So did they put down Tuvix as a name on the passport?
Your passport is the only thing that proves you have the right to be in Germany.
Just wait until you are on vacation and they arrest you for identity theft because the picture doesn't match you and you get thrown in a prison in Thailand.
This was done in 2010 in Czechia.
https://artoftheprank.com/2010/06/19/ztohoven-art-collective-launch-citizen-k-identity-swap/
Stop the presses. Fraudulent documents pass as real. And dog bites man.
In 40 yrs, Germans will understand what their current decisions have done to their culture and lifestyle.
Too bad it will be too late at that point.
If everywhere in the world had a similar level of income as Germans enjoy, then I'd agree that passports aren't necessary. But I live in the real world, not some idealized version of it.
Imagine millions people all coming to Germany without jobs, few skills, and they don't speak either Germany or English. They are permanent residents. What's next? You either take them in and convert them to the German work-ethic and culture while teaching them German, but many people won't be able or will choose not to make that change. They will demand social welfare for the rest of their lives. Their children will learn that life and expect it too.
Germans are a practical group, so perhaps they will force some social agreements onto aid recipients that other countries won't.
In all the history of Germany, there have never been more immigrants than today at about 10M foreign born. That's about 12% of the population.
My grandparents were immigrants FROM Germany. I have a love of immigrants who come and make a better life for themselves, their families and their communities. Welcome. I also love the blending of cultures, together we are all better and much more interesting.
I would also encourage every immigrant family to speak both their native language AND the local language of where you live. Language is a huge part of culture. My family all learned German, but we didn't speak it at home. I regret that.
This is funny until a software at the border decides this is not you on the passport photo.
At that point, at best you spend the whole day explaining what is going on to custom officers.
Germans know things about border controls. They invented the modern border wall with motion sensors and death strips.
The country was divided. Remember?
The East spied on people in depth, blackmailing and controlling them to spy on family members, friends and neighbours. They did this with conventional technology. Identity papers were important and often a matter of a life worth living, or death to escape it.
This has left a pension for provocative artwork, a deep respect for privacy and a healthy fear of government overreach.
The advantage to her is that if passport photos are sent to a government database of faces that is distributed to facial-recognition systems (say, looking at images from security cameras), she won't be recognized, and thus her movements won't be picked up and tracked.
Exactly, there's also a good chance she isn't planning on traveling anywhere where a passport is required.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inverted_totalitarianism
Somebody does not look exactely like her passport photo? I am shocked.
I looked at the article, but could not find the two images. I assume they look somewhat similar. U know people who photoshopped their pasport photo. So are they guilty as well?
This is seriously a non-story. So it is not her, it is a representation of her and it looked good enough.
Here how I get my passporrt photo. I go to a photographer that taked a picture digitally, changes the background, as I need a different one than the photobooth have, print it out so it can be scanned.
Why not have a digital camera and do it all in one swoop?
Don't fight for your country, if your country does not fight for you.
No, I'm Billie Hoffman!
+1 to this whole idea.
Requiem for the American Dream
Hm? Do tell me, you dumb fuck!
You're so mentally retarded, you believe you are smart.
I bet you are so dumb, you actually believe you vote.
Hm? Please do tell us.
You are so mentally disabled, that you believe you are smart again.
I bet you are *so* stupid, you even believe you voted.
As I said: We live in a hellish nightmare where infinite stupidity and infinite evilness meet.
Such "laws" might exist in idotic draconian countries. Doesn't make it OK.
UK airports are using passport scanners instead of border guards as you land. Those are using biometrics, and do fail on photographs intended to subvert them.
The fall-back process is to route the passenger through to a border guard. They can look at the photograph, confirm that it matches the person stood in front of them, and allow them into the country.
So the photograph wont prevent her from travelling, just delay her at border control.
The test is not without merit, but it doesn't really tell us much other than that the person is able to handle a car going 15 MPH with no traffic when they know they're being watched.
But yes, many states will suspend a license for reasons unrelated to driving, such as failure to appear in court, late child support, non DUI/DWI drug offenses, etc. Further, why does it expire? You can renew without taking a test again. Most of the time they don't even bother with the token vision test in Ga anymore.
UK airports are using passport scanners instead of border guards as you land. Those are using biometrics, and do fail on photographs intended to subvert them. The fall-back process is to route the passenger through to a border guard. They can look at the photograph, confirm that it matches the person stood in front of them, and allow them into the country.
So the photograph wont prevent her from travelling,
...if the altered photo is enough like her that the human thinks they're the same even if the AI doesn't.
depends, I suppose, on how similar to her is the other person whose image she mixed in with hers to make the composite.
just delay her at border control.
I'm Argentinian, not the top of the pack in terms of government competency, but to get a passport I have to be physically there and they take my picture and fingerprints. You cannot submit your own picture, that's a glaring security hole. They authenticate your identity first and then capture the picture.
Even the camera operators cannot override the input from the camera, at least not easily.