Discover how some industry experts are taking extreme measures to avoid detection.

While protecting your privacy from facial recognition technology is absolutely important, some industry experts are taking extreme measures to avoid detection. Having to wear more disguises than Jacques Clouseau, we aren’t sure going to such lengths will even be worth it. Whether these suggestions are issued seriously or not, we’ll leave it up to you to decide. Recently, “The New York Times ran an alarming piece by Kashmir Hill about Clearview AI, a startup that allows third parties to quickly learn many details about you based on only seeing your face.” To make things more terrifying, Clearview’s facial recognition technology is already being used by government agencies across the US. It should be noted that Clearview was not the first organization to produce this technology, other firms just reframed from offering it up to market. For good reason too—by utilizing this technology, we are opening up Pandora’s Box, which may or may not have the proper legislation to protect our privacy… or our rights. Until things become clearer, Joseph Steinberg is offering us 11 tried and true methods to hide our identities from facial recognition technology.

11 tried and true methods to hide our identities from facial recognition technology.

1. The importance of hair and makeup:

The key here is to do the opposite of what the beauty world tells you to do, and not highlight your features, but hide them. You can block portions of your face with your hair or by using much lighter or darker makeup compared with the actual color of your skin. Next up, cover up any identifiable tattoos or beauty marks. Asymmetry also confuses facial recognition technology, so unbalanced hairstyles in terms of patchy color or cut, as well as intense makeup applied to only one side of your face, will help you avoid being recognized.

2. Hide your nose, eyes, and forehead:

Prevent the camera from viewing where your eyes, nose, and forehead meet. Why? Most many facial recognition algorithms place greater importance on this area of the face for identification purposes. A large wig or hoodie is your best friend here.

3. Do not pucker up:

Much like our society, facial recognition systems place great importance on lips. So, what can you do? Try to grow a mustache or beard long enough to cover part of your upper lip. You can also change the shape of your lips with a lip pencil or by using concealer to cover some parts of your lips to look like skin.

4. Get a hat:

Wear a hat with a large brim, like a baseball cap or fedora, and keep your head down to avoid being identified. You can tuck your ears into the hat to become even more inconspicuous.

5. Hide your eyes:

Try to hide one or both eyes from view at all times. “Also, consider wearing reflective sunglasses that incorporate technology to reflect infrared light; such glasses can completely obliterate cameras’ views of your eyes and can even create a “glare” that interferes with recognition systems’ ability to see clearly in the areas immediately surrounding your eyes as well.”

6. Get yourself some infrared LEDs:

You can attach battery powered infrared LEDs to sunglasses directed at viewers, or hide them in a hat and aim them at your own face. Both ways can confuse facial recognition systems which require infrared light. Luckily, infrared light is invisible to humans, so it won’t be too conspicuous. I wish I could say the same for large-brimmed fedoras and oversized wigs.

7. Apply fake features:

Follow in Hollywood’s footsteps, and apply (preferably asymmetrical) facial skin add-ons to change the shape of your nose, lips or forehead.

8. Choose the right clothing:

Wear clothes like a hoodie or a scarf, which can cover large portions of your face. Systems can also be confused by complex bright images or clothing with human faces—another reason to wear grandma’s Christmas gift—a sweater with her face on it.

9. Grow a beard:

Although not enough on its own, it’s beneficial when combined with other methods.

10. Wear a de-facto mask:

This can’t be done indoors, as you would draw too much attention to yourself. You also have to make sure it’s not illegal wherever you are, as people could think you were trying to disguise yourself…which you are. You could probably get away with wearing a balaclava in winter. There are clear masks which block facial recognition systems, but these can be very noticeable if not hidden under another mask. You could also try to wear a mask with another person’s face on it, but this once again may or may not be legal depending where you are, and is not exactly low-key.

11. Modify photos before posting:

You can add “noise” to your photos which isn’t visible to others, but adds a layer of difficulty for facial recognition systems to recognize you.

It’s important to vary which of the above-mentioned methods you utilize, so that systems cannot become trained to identify “the new you”. While Joseph Steinberg has suggested a plethora of methods to avoid detection, one must wonder how practical these solutions really are. While you might avoid being recognized by facial recognition technology, I’m pretty sure if you walk around with a large, partially pink wig, draped in front of half of your face, while sporting an asymmetrical forehead painted blue, reflective glasses, as well as a wide-brimmed fedora and a balaclava, you’re bound to be detected by pretty much everyone else, including the police.

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Talk to us: Will you be implementing any of Joseph Steinberg’s strategies to avoid being identified by facial recognition technology? Let us know in the comments below, we would love to hear from you!

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