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Russian Photographer Uses Facial Recognition To Find People He Snaps On Subway, And The Results Are Scary
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"Your Face is Big Data," is a smart but also slightly scary project by Russian photographer Egor Tsvetkov. In order to show how easy it is for complete strangers to gather information about you, Egor spent six weeks taking around 100 pictures of subway commuters in St Petersburg before using a facial recognition app called FindFace to track down their internet profiles.
He used open source software to scan the 55 million plus users of VKontakte, Russia's biggest social network, and despite some of his photographs bearing little resemblance to their online pictures, Egor was (rather alarmingly) able to find around 70% of the people he snapped. “My project is a clear illustration of the future that awaits us if we continue to disclose as much about ourselves on the internet as we do now,” he said. In an age where people are using social media more than ever, perhaps it's time we started to think about how much information we really want to share with the world.
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I think that most of them will be worried not bcause privacy but bcause someone is comparing their "real photos" to their "profile photos"!
:D :D
I think a big problem here is that so many of these people are so glued to their phones they don't even notice someone taking their picture. People need to be more aware of what goes on around them.
it's incredibly easy to take someones picture without them noticing. Even if you think you're paying attention to everything around you, you're really not. You can't keep track of every single person that is around you at all times, and why would you want that? sounds exhausting to me. When i sit on the train or whatever after a long day I just want to relax. So it's not as simple as being "more aware of what goes on around" you.
My comment wasn't meant to get people to be hyper aware of every person or thing around them. It is that simple btw: if the people pictured here (the ones on their phones) had looked up they might have seen the photographer is all I'm saying. If I caught someone taking my picture I would ask why and depending on the reason I would either be ok with it or ask them to delete it. In this case definitely the latter.
Please, like you would know... pfff. All this guy had to do is pretend he was checking his phone but instead do a whole photo session with yo ass!
Yeah, maybe, but I agree with Cassandra's reply. Besides that not all of them are
Not all of them are watching their phones, some are sleeping....
The aesthetics of this list makes me interpret these as "common people and their dreams". The message might be a bit frightening, true, but it kinda reminds that all those "expressionless zombies" really are colourful people filled with life.
That's exactly what I got from this!and it's actually a much more positive message than the one the photographer wanted to put out
I find this quite scary and unsettling tbh
This is creepy.
And when you're in a public place, now they just run face recognition and know where you live.... (but aren't home)
don't wanna be a party pooper here...but IT IS illegal to take a persons' photo without their consent . Interesting stalker behavior and skills taken to the idea of "art" .
It's not, not in public spaces. It is illegal to use those images for commercial purposes. Actually not even that, you don't face criminal charges but the person in question is entitled claim the pictures if they chose to go to court.
In fact, it depends on the country...
@Arletta - if that's true street photography shouldn't exist
it is a big difference if you take a picture of a group of people or you take pictures of a specific person,and only that person...you should ask the person for pesmission
Only for commercial purposes as far as I understand. Otherwise you would never be able to take a photo as a tourist with people in the background...
Egor is a sick sick puppy...
Pretty scary
Frankly, there are some stupid comments. I got one, as well: this is all fabricated, and serves as an advertisement for the mentioned app.
nah, your comments seems pretty accurate actually
I think a girl opposite me on the subway a few weeks ago might have taken my picture. She might have just been surfing on the internet but the camera was directed straight at me. But what are you gonna do? Ask someone to show the pictures on their phone?
I once recognised myself in the background on the screen of a girl's big big smartphone taking selfies at a restaurant. I pulled out a pose and a smile. She changed the direction when she noticed that. ♥
Security settings are your friends, people. Also, be aware of who is snapping random pics of you.
Yes, but how?
This is scary, controversial, borderline illegal stuff!
Not really, no. They're in a public space and their online profiles are obviously not private...
Not sure how it is in Russia, but in civilized countries ;) (unless you're taking a picture of a public servant in execution of his duties i.e. police, and even in those cases not always) taking a picture of someone and putting it on the internet without their permission is illegal. I.L.L.E.G.A.L. Period.
profile-ph...198be9.jpg
The first time I got seriously alarmed was when I uploaded a couple hundred photos on gmail and it recognized the faces of all my friends within 2 or 3 seconds. I don't post any photos anywhere ever since.
that is sooo scary
The person who took these photos and publicized them here can be sued like flip. I hope that happens, and soon.
Can't be sued for photos taken in public places unless the photos were used commercially. Everyone should know this.
Yeah! Let's sue each other, instead of standing up to The Man!
Have you met The Man, he's a scary mother... no thank you.
this is amazing yet spooky
Moscow and St Petersburg subway lighting make us all looks sick and tired...
too bad this app dosent really exist
Guy spends 6 weeks taking 100 pictures, then posts 3 finds, where's the rest?
sorry but a few years ago people like that where called stalkers or pervs.if someone ever took a picture of me like that i would break his nose.
.....And who really cares-unless you got hold of their credit card numbers and information that they did not put on social media?!
This is terrifying. :/
Now one's fizgog can leave as much traceable evidence as a fingerprint or DNA. We must now guard our face as diligently as the RFID chip on our debit cards. How long before some enterprising entrepreneur makes a million selling custom face-masks: don't leave home without it.
I think ..and everyone is with their phone!
In what kind of way are the results scary? The impression that the title makes would be far more realistic if there was a really high contrast between the the real life photos and the photos, uploaded from the users themselfs. Actually, most of the pictures correspond exactly to the real ones, so I don't seem to find something shoking or scary. This would be an interesting social experiment, based on the critique of the modern society and its abuse of technology...
LOL, we all look like sh** on the subway
This one made me sad. Those people are just staring at their phones
Everybody are miserable but pretends otherwise.
..like zombies but in selfies give quite contrary impression.
Glued to gadgets
Just wear a wooden leg, fake moustache+beard and an eyepatch. No one will notice ... yo ho ho ya ha haaaarrr :)
so... how is that scary?
I don`t feel comfortable with the idea that a stranger is taking a photo of me without me noticing, publishing it on some website or other and then - to top it off - run a recognition software over the photo. I wouldn`t call that art...i´d just call it creapy
profile-ph...e70147.jpg
Oh! First, former porn actress to declassify, and now just passers-by. The man who started doing it, the same idiot as those who started to do it in the first case. And certainly does not make sense is when peers and PR. In general, it is nothing more than a listing service. Which in addition to search people and yet you have added to your base.
I wonder if he asked those people permission to share their pic online :/
This is but a tiny fraction of ordinary people with Wannabe Dreams.
No one can look cool while commuting to work or getting off work, I guess.
4 makes me feel stuff
Amazing!
15424536_1...b12db2.jpg
I tested it out: am unimpressed. It's not that accurate. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqsxJDJvESk
Whats so scary about that? They dont look THAT different. Plus, lights in the metro are cruel :D
It's not about how different they look...
Denise, I saw what you did there :))
Most of those people look nothing like the original photo snapped on the subway. I think the software has some major flaws.
What's so scary about results again?
Let me see.....If someone can do this, they can find you on Facebook, learn where you live, and gather enough information to stalk you, if they're so inclined. They can also find ways to steal your identity, ruin your credit, and destroy your life.
I noticed that men look the same in both pictures but women look totally different. Make up is majic
i only noticed that men look the same in both pictures but women look totally different. Make up does majic
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Also, I'm sure this photographer looks absolutely wonderful every second of every day. I'm sure if we saw his profile pic, it would not be staged with great lighting, etc. I am so mad about this, for some reason. :-/
I don't think that was the intention. I think he was just curious to see a glimpse into the lives of the people he saw riding public transportation. I think it also demonstrates that just because people aren't all smiles in a random crowd doesn't mean they're unhappy people.
I think that most of them will be worried not bcause privacy but bcause someone is comparing their "real photos" to their "profile photos"!
:D :D
I think a big problem here is that so many of these people are so glued to their phones they don't even notice someone taking their picture. People need to be more aware of what goes on around them.
it's incredibly easy to take someones picture without them noticing. Even if you think you're paying attention to everything around you, you're really not. You can't keep track of every single person that is around you at all times, and why would you want that? sounds exhausting to me. When i sit on the train or whatever after a long day I just want to relax. So it's not as simple as being "more aware of what goes on around" you.
My comment wasn't meant to get people to be hyper aware of every person or thing around them. It is that simple btw: if the people pictured here (the ones on their phones) had looked up they might have seen the photographer is all I'm saying. If I caught someone taking my picture I would ask why and depending on the reason I would either be ok with it or ask them to delete it. In this case definitely the latter.
Please, like you would know... pfff. All this guy had to do is pretend he was checking his phone but instead do a whole photo session with yo ass!
Yeah, maybe, but I agree with Cassandra's reply. Besides that not all of them are
Not all of them are watching their phones, some are sleeping....
The aesthetics of this list makes me interpret these as "common people and their dreams". The message might be a bit frightening, true, but it kinda reminds that all those "expressionless zombies" really are colourful people filled with life.
That's exactly what I got from this!and it's actually a much more positive message than the one the photographer wanted to put out
I find this quite scary and unsettling tbh
This is creepy.
And when you're in a public place, now they just run face recognition and know where you live.... (but aren't home)
don't wanna be a party pooper here...but IT IS illegal to take a persons' photo without their consent . Interesting stalker behavior and skills taken to the idea of "art" .
It's not, not in public spaces. It is illegal to use those images for commercial purposes. Actually not even that, you don't face criminal charges but the person in question is entitled claim the pictures if they chose to go to court.
In fact, it depends on the country...
@Arletta - if that's true street photography shouldn't exist
it is a big difference if you take a picture of a group of people or you take pictures of a specific person,and only that person...you should ask the person for pesmission
Only for commercial purposes as far as I understand. Otherwise you would never be able to take a photo as a tourist with people in the background...
Egor is a sick sick puppy...
Pretty scary
Frankly, there are some stupid comments. I got one, as well: this is all fabricated, and serves as an advertisement for the mentioned app.
nah, your comments seems pretty accurate actually
I think a girl opposite me on the subway a few weeks ago might have taken my picture. She might have just been surfing on the internet but the camera was directed straight at me. But what are you gonna do? Ask someone to show the pictures on their phone?
I once recognised myself in the background on the screen of a girl's big big smartphone taking selfies at a restaurant. I pulled out a pose and a smile. She changed the direction when she noticed that. ♥
Security settings are your friends, people. Also, be aware of who is snapping random pics of you.
Yes, but how?
This is scary, controversial, borderline illegal stuff!
Not really, no. They're in a public space and their online profiles are obviously not private...
Not sure how it is in Russia, but in civilized countries ;) (unless you're taking a picture of a public servant in execution of his duties i.e. police, and even in those cases not always) taking a picture of someone and putting it on the internet without their permission is illegal. I.L.L.E.G.A.L. Period.
profile-ph...198be9.jpg
The first time I got seriously alarmed was when I uploaded a couple hundred photos on gmail and it recognized the faces of all my friends within 2 or 3 seconds. I don't post any photos anywhere ever since.
that is sooo scary
The person who took these photos and publicized them here can be sued like flip. I hope that happens, and soon.
Can't be sued for photos taken in public places unless the photos were used commercially. Everyone should know this.
Yeah! Let's sue each other, instead of standing up to The Man!
Have you met The Man, he's a scary mother... no thank you.
this is amazing yet spooky
Moscow and St Petersburg subway lighting make us all looks sick and tired...
too bad this app dosent really exist
Guy spends 6 weeks taking 100 pictures, then posts 3 finds, where's the rest?
sorry but a few years ago people like that where called stalkers or pervs.if someone ever took a picture of me like that i would break his nose.
.....And who really cares-unless you got hold of their credit card numbers and information that they did not put on social media?!
This is terrifying. :/
Now one's fizgog can leave as much traceable evidence as a fingerprint or DNA. We must now guard our face as diligently as the RFID chip on our debit cards. How long before some enterprising entrepreneur makes a million selling custom face-masks: don't leave home without it.
I think ..and everyone is with their phone!
In what kind of way are the results scary? The impression that the title makes would be far more realistic if there was a really high contrast between the the real life photos and the photos, uploaded from the users themselfs. Actually, most of the pictures correspond exactly to the real ones, so I don't seem to find something shoking or scary. This would be an interesting social experiment, based on the critique of the modern society and its abuse of technology...
LOL, we all look like sh** on the subway
This one made me sad. Those people are just staring at their phones
Everybody are miserable but pretends otherwise.
..like zombies but in selfies give quite contrary impression.
Glued to gadgets
Just wear a wooden leg, fake moustache+beard and an eyepatch. No one will notice ... yo ho ho ya ha haaaarrr :)
so... how is that scary?
I don`t feel comfortable with the idea that a stranger is taking a photo of me without me noticing, publishing it on some website or other and then - to top it off - run a recognition software over the photo. I wouldn`t call that art...i´d just call it creapy
profile-ph...e70147.jpg
Oh! First, former porn actress to declassify, and now just passers-by. The man who started doing it, the same idiot as those who started to do it in the first case. And certainly does not make sense is when peers and PR. In general, it is nothing more than a listing service. Which in addition to search people and yet you have added to your base.
I wonder if he asked those people permission to share their pic online :/
This is but a tiny fraction of ordinary people with Wannabe Dreams.
No one can look cool while commuting to work or getting off work, I guess.
4 makes me feel stuff
Amazing!
15424536_1...b12db2.jpg
I tested it out: am unimpressed. It's not that accurate. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqsxJDJvESk
Whats so scary about that? They dont look THAT different. Plus, lights in the metro are cruel :D
It's not about how different they look...
Denise, I saw what you did there :))
Most of those people look nothing like the original photo snapped on the subway. I think the software has some major flaws.
What's so scary about results again?
Let me see.....If someone can do this, they can find you on Facebook, learn where you live, and gather enough information to stalk you, if they're so inclined. They can also find ways to steal your identity, ruin your credit, and destroy your life.
I noticed that men look the same in both pictures but women look totally different. Make up is majic
i only noticed that men look the same in both pictures but women look totally different. Make up does majic
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Also, I'm sure this photographer looks absolutely wonderful every second of every day. I'm sure if we saw his profile pic, it would not be staged with great lighting, etc. I am so mad about this, for some reason. :-/
I don't think that was the intention. I think he was just curious to see a glimpse into the lives of the people he saw riding public transportation. I think it also demonstrates that just because people aren't all smiles in a random crowd doesn't mean they're unhappy people.