Every time you leave the house, your movements are likely to be monitored whenever you're within range of a camera. Fortunately, there are a few ways to avoid this.
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Thanks to a branch of computer science called “ machine vision ,” it’s possible to create software algorithms that quickly match a face in a photo or video to one in a file. Since modern cameras are so good and computers are incredibly fast, this can be done in real time, even in large crowds.
Most existing privacy laws around the world say that you can be recorded by cameras when you are in a public place. If this were not the case, paparazzi would not be able to do their job. Unfortunately, these laws could not foresee that mass surveillance of people could be done simply by pointing a camera at them.
The simplest way to avoid having your face scanned in public is to wear a mask. Especially at this time in the midst of a pandemic, it's the easiest.
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Wear a hat, glasses, and makeup. A wide-brimmed hat makes it harder for cameras in public places to capture your face. Sunglasses, especially when worn in conjunction with a face mask, are another effective method of preventing your face from being scanned.
There's also a new style of makeup designed specifically to confuse machine vision systems trying to recognize your face.
Another clever technique is to wear clothes with faces printed on them. While this doesn't prevent your face from being scanned, it can cause the system to scan the wrong face.
While most of the ways to deal with facial recognition from cameras in public spaces still work, technology is advancing rapidly. As algorithms become smarter, many of these mitigations will no longer be effective.
See also: Facial Recognition: What you need to know about facial recognition!
Already, someone's face may not even be necessary to be recognized. For example, gait recognition technology can analyze the way someone moves and walks and match them to a record.
The future advancement of public biometrics such as these means that it is probably more effective to prohibit the use of such technologies for privacy violations, rather than trying to directly address the technology.
