Clown make-up used to outsmart facial recognition software

Juggalos Insane Clown Posse facial recognition algorithms 
Tahkion says facepaint worn by “Juggalos”, the fans of a band called Insane Clown Posse, confuses facial recognition algorithms Credit: GETTY

People wearing heavy clown make-up can outsmart facial recognition software, meaning individuals can avoid being detected by surveillance systems.

Computers are fooled by the make-up because black paint below the mouth changes how a facial recognition program perceives people's jawlines, a computer science researcher has discovered.

Heavy everyday make-up such as eyeliner do not fool the algorithms, and some full-face painting styles, such as the gothic "corpse" make-up, are not enough either.

But a researcher and blogger known as Tahkion demonstrated that facepaint worn by “Juggalos”, the nickname of fans of a band called Insane Clown Posse, confuses facial recognition algorithms.

IT comes as facial recognition software becomes more widespread, with authorities using it to identify criminals and people of interest. For example the UK Government is preparing to increase use of the software at British borders.

Tahkion said the clown make-up “totally redefines what is interpreted” on an individual's face. This prevents the system from connecting a person in Juggalo makeup to an image of that same person without the makeup on.

Police, immigration and passport control departments are planning a central system to upload and share photograph and potentially voice data so they can cross check for visa applications or while solving crimes, according to a report into the ethics and laws governing the use of biometrics.

Police will also have greater powers to use biometric technology on the street following successes using smartphones to match people to the current face image database, made up of 12.5m photos.

In the US, Police in the city of Orlando where using Amazon's Rekognition system to compare images provided by a police department to a database of pictures.

While it can be used for many kinds of image detection there have been fears the advanced system could be used to target individuals in breach of civil rights.

They ended the trial run of the facial recognition technology in the city following protests from Amazon staff and dissent from its shareholders.

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