About this video

• Video Title: How to Block Facial Recognition Cameras (IRL Tested!)
• Channel: Business Reform
• Speakers: Dr. John Padfield
• Duration: 00:13:19

Overview

This video explains the basic process of facial recognition technology and explores methods to circumvent it, with a focus on how infrared cameras can bypass common disguises like sunglasses. It tests various solutions, including specialized glasses and reflective hats, to block facial recognition on an iPhone.

Key takeaways

• Facial recognition involves capturing an image, detecting a face, extracting features (like measurements around eyes, nose, and mouth), comparing these features to a database, and producing a match probability.
• The feature extraction stage is the most vulnerable point for defeating facial recognition systems.
• Standard disguises like wigs, fake beards, or dark sunglasses are often ineffective against facial recognition cameras because many systems use infrared (IR) light, which can penetrate these disguises and see facial features like the eyes.
• IR-blocking safety glasses, particularly those with shade 3.0 or 5.0 lenses, can effectively block IR light and prevent facial recognition. However, darker shades may not be practical for driving or indoor use.
• A super-reflective hat, designed for cyclists, surprisingly prevented an iPhone from unlocking, suggesting that extreme reflectivity might also interfere with facial recognition systems.
• While these methods were tested on an iPhone, their effectiveness against larger-scale facial recognition systems used by retailers or law enforcement is not guaranteed.

Regular sunglasses and fake beards are generally ineffective against facial recognition systems because many of these systems utilize infrared (IR) cameras. Infrared light can penetrate through dark sunglasses, allowing the camera to still see the wearer's eyes, which are crucial features for facial recognition. Similarly, IR light can see through fake beards, as the underlying facial structure can still be detected.

The video suggests that IR-blocking glasses are a potential solution. Specifically, it highlights IR safety glasses with IR filter shade 3.0 or 5.0 lenses, which can block nearly all infrared light and a significant portion of visible light, thus preventing infrared cameras from detecting facial features like the eyes. Additionally, the video tested a super-reflective hat that also prevented an iPhone from unlocking, indicating another potential, albeit less conventional, method.