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Russian Photographer Uses Facial Recognition To Find People He Snaps On Subway, And The Results Are Scary
"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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Are you all missing the point?! Any creep can get near you, more and more easier. Who cares if the girl is pretty, or not?! Geez
Obviously, if u put your pictures online ánd live this can happen. I do not see an illegal thing happening.
okay, but then do You find sexual assault okay, too? Moron?
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Could please tell me in which countries it is illegal to do this. I would be most grateful. This is very horrifying.
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Help, SOS, how can we protect ourselves against this? This application takes a picture of person and lets you find the name, address, the content of their Facebook or whatever, should not be possible. We are now living in a world described in George Orwell's book titled, "1984". This is to date the most scary thing I've come across on the Net. God help us.
OMG how everyone on the left picture is doing something with the phone...
The forehead on the right picture is almost twice the size of the left one.... hmmmm...
Well in one of the photos she is looking down while the other she is looking up. Maybe this is why. ..
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I don't see any problem here ,she's pretty in both way Right is natural Left is just make up. She still look stunning ,
The problem is that anyone can see you on the streets, take a pic and stalk you via internet on any social network you've uploaded a picture
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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"!
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.
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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
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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.
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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
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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. ♥
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Security settings are your friends, people. Also, be aware of who is snapping random pics of you.
Not really, no. They're in a public space and their online profiles are obviously not private...
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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.
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.
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Moscow and St Petersburg subway lighting make us all looks sick and tired...
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?!
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.
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...
Everybody are miserable but pretends otherwise.
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Just wear a wooden leg, fake moustache+beard and an eyepatch. No one will notice ... yo ho ho ya ha haaaarrr :)
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.
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
Most of those people look nothing like the original photo snapped on the subway. I think the software has some major flaws.
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.
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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
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.
Load More Replies... I think that most of them will be worried not bcause privacy but bcause someone is comparing their "real photos" to their "profile photos"!
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.
Load More Replies... 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
Load More Replies... 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.
Load More Replies... 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
Load More Replies... 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. ♥
Load More Replies... Security settings are your friends, people. Also, be aware of who is snapping random pics of you.
Not really, no. They're in a public space and their online profiles are obviously not private...
Load More Replies... 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.
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.
Load More Replies... Moscow and St Petersburg subway lighting make us all looks sick and tired...
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?!
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.
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...
Everybody are miserable but pretends otherwise.
Load More Replies... Just wear a wooden leg, fake moustache+beard and an eyepatch. No one will notice ... yo ho ho ya ha haaaarrr :)
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.
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
Most of those people look nothing like the original photo snapped on the subway. I think the software has some major flaws.
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.
Load More Replies... 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
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.
Load More Replies...