Transgender YouTubers had their videos grabbed to train facial recognition software

In the race to train AI, researchers are taking data first and asking questions later

About five or six years ago, one of Karl Ricanek's students showed him a video on YouTube. It was a time lapse of a person undergoing hormone replacement therapy, or HRT, in order to transition genders. "At the time, we were working on facial recognition," Ricanek, a professor of computer science at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, tells The Verge. He says he and his students were always trying to find ways to break the systems they worked on, and that this video seemed like a particularly tricky challenge. "We were like, 'Wow there's no way the current technology could recognize this person [after they transitioned].'"  ......

https://www.theverge.com/2017/8/22/16180080/transgender-youtubers-ai-facial-recognition-

The Verge/By James Vincent

Facial recognition is far more advanced and pervasive than people think it is. Have a "Real ID"? Your image is in a database. Post pictures on Facebook linked to your name? You can bet you're face is already cataloged somewhere.

I have never posted an identifiable photograph of myself online anywhere ever. I intend to keep it that way. I wouldn't recommend it but if you're concerned do a Google reverse image search of your photo and see what comes up.

Quote from: Lisa_K on August 22, 2017, 03:27:51 PM
Facial recognition is far more advanced and pervasive than people think it is. Have a "Real ID"? Your image is in a database. Post pictures on Facebook linked to your name? You can bet you're face is already cataloged somewhere.

I have never posted an identifiable photograph of myself online anywhere ever. I intend to keep it that way. I wouldn't recommend it but if you're concerned do a Google reverse image search of your photo and see what comes up.

That's a good idea Lisa.  I wish I had thought of that.  The only place I ever posted my image was on LinkedIn. When I do a Google images search with my name, my picture always pops up in the first 20 images.  I guess there's no taking it back now.

If you have a US government issued photo id I'm pretty sure the NSA has you.  Any citizens from 5 Eyes countries can also assume their government has submitted photos to the NSA. 

It's very creepy and now with this revelation, it looks like transition isn't going to save you.  Although I wonder if FFS might.

Take care,
Paige