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posted by CoolHand on Thursday November 08 2018, @04:56PM   Printer-friendly
from the https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iV2ViNJFZC8 dept.

Submitted via IRC for Bytram

China can apparently now identify citizens based on the way they walk

China is home to the world’s largest network of CCTV cameras — more than 170 million — and its police have adopted Google Glass-like “smart specs” to seek out suspects in crowds, but now its surveillance efforts have hit a new level with technology that can apparently identify individuals based on their body shape and the way they walk.

The “gait recognition” technology is already being used by police in Beijing and Shanghai where it can identify individuals even when their face is obscured or their back is turned, according to an AP report.

[...] The positive impact is in finding criminals, but there’s a less savory edge. Besides law enforcement, media reports have shown that China has deployed surveillance technology for more sinister purposes that include controlling its people.

[...] China’s CCTV surveillance network took just 7 minutes to capture BBC reporter


Original Submission

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https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2024/10/harvard-students-make-auto-doxxing-smart-glasses-to-show-need-for-privacy-regs/

Two Harvard students recently revealed that it's possible to combine Meta smart glasses with face image search technology to "reveal anyone's personal details," including their name, address, and phone number, "just from looking at them."

In a Google document, AnhPhu Nguyen and Caine Ardayfio explained how they linked a pair of Meta Ray Bans 2 to an invasive face search engine called PimEyes to help identify strangers by cross-searching their information on various people-search databases. They then used a large language model (LLM) to rapidly combine all that data, making it possible to dox someone in a glance or surface information to scam someone in seconds—or other nefarious uses, such as "some dude could just find some girl's home address on the train and just follow them home," Nguyen told 404 Media.

This is all possible thanks to recent progress with LLMs, the students said.

[...] To prevent anyone from being doxxed, the co-creators are not releasing the code, Nguyen said on social media site X. They did, however, outline how their disturbing tech works and how shocked random strangers used as test subjects were to discover how easily identifiable they are just from accessing with the smart glasses information posted publicly online.

[...] But while privacy is clearly important to the students and their demo video strove to remove identifying information, at least one test subject was "easily" identified anyway, 404 Media reported. That test subject couldn't be reached for comment, 404 Media reported.

So far, neither Facebook nor Google has chosen to release similar technologies that they developed linking smart glasses to face search engines, The New York Times reported.

[...] In the European Union, where collecting facial recognition data generally requires someone's direct consent under the General Data Protection Regulation, smart glasses like I-XRAY may not be as big of a concern for people who prefer to be anonymous in public spaces. But in the US, I-XRAY could be providing bad actors with their next scam.

"If people do run with this idea, I think that's really bad," Ardayfio told 404 Media. "I would hope that awareness that we've spread on how to protect your data would outweigh any of the negative impacts this could have."

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  • (Score: -1, Redundant) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 08 2018, @05:10PM (3 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 08 2018, @05:10PM (#759423)

    OK, China. Let's see your AI identify these people [youtube.com] by their walk!

    • (Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Thursday November 08 2018, @05:28PM

      by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Thursday November 08 2018, @05:28PM (#759436) Journal

      We've got a guy at work who wants to be in that video. I've never figured him out - is he just weird as hell, or is he weird as hell? His feet seem to start moving, then like some kind of rubber band man, his waist catches up, then his shoulders, and finally his head - but of course, by the time his head catches up, his feet are two paces ahead again. Some kinda mutant, I think . . .

      --
      “I have become friends with many school shooters” - Tampon Tim Walz
    • (Score: 3, Funny) by Bot on Thursday November 08 2018, @05:40PM

      by Bot (3902) on Thursday November 08 2018, @05:40PM (#759441) Journal

      Well what else should they attempt, to tell Chinese apart by looking at the face? duh.

      --
      Account abandoned.
    • (Score: 2) by pkrasimirov on Thursday November 08 2018, @06:28PM

      by pkrasimirov (3358) Subscriber Badge on Thursday November 08 2018, @06:28PM (#759464)

      The more you deviate from average the easier identifiable you are. Walking like Monty Python is identifiable by everyone.

  • (Score: 3, Interesting) by Runaway1956 on Thursday November 08 2018, @05:18PM (7 children)

    by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Thursday November 08 2018, @05:18PM (#759425) Journal

    One tight shoe, the other normal. Or, an irritating pebble or something in one shoe. Instead of a pair of shoes, wear one shoe with a thick sole, the other a flat shoe. There are probably other ways to change your gait. I know that if my back hurts, I tend to slouch a little. (That's a vicious circle - the more you slouch, the more your back aches, the more it aches, the more you slouch.) Maybe wear shorts a couple sizes too small? Duct tape your knee so it doesn't flex properly? Oh - almost forgot this simple one - put a concealed weapon in the small of your back. Or, something similar size and weight to a .357. Doing the same in a shoulder holster is supposed to alter your gait as well, but I've never really noticed that. Belt holster - forget it. The weight has to be located off your center of gravity. One more simply trick. Get a pair of crutches! Doesn't matter that you don't need them - learn to use them properly so that you can use them whenever you need. Just don't forget which leg is "broken", and change gaits in front of the cameras!

    --
    “I have become friends with many school shooters” - Tampon Tim Walz
    • (Score: 1, Flamebait) by Bot on Thursday November 08 2018, @05:48PM

      by Bot (3902) on Thursday November 08 2018, @05:48PM (#759447) Journal

      > almost forgot this simple one - put a concealed weapon

      Flom the police lepolt:
      "then a stlange walking guy comes up, we stop him obviously. He had a funny pistol and no ammo, said it makes him invisible to sulveillance. We thlow a coin, head psych wald tail plison. We'll call him Pli Son Won.

      --
      Account abandoned.
    • (Score: 5, Insightful) by Unixnut on Thursday November 08 2018, @05:57PM (1 child)

      by Unixnut (5779) on Thursday November 08 2018, @05:57PM (#759452)

      All very true, but if you have reached a point in societal development where your choices to not be constantly spied upon rely on you hobbling yourself in a different manner every time you go out for a walk, you have already lost.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 17 2018, @12:59PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 17 2018, @12:59PM (#763071)

        With a fundamental right to privacy and constitutional controls restricting if, where, and how your government can use such security measures, and what data retention they are allowed if they do. This is such a slippery slope on a national and international level that it could lead to the sort of dystopian hells we've read about for 100 years very easily by itself.

    • (Score: 4, Insightful) by richtopia on Thursday November 08 2018, @08:15PM

      by richtopia (3160) on Thursday November 08 2018, @08:15PM (#759515) Homepage Journal

      Hello citizen!

      You are being escorted to your local police precinct because today there is a 5.13% change in your step frequency. We had trouble identifying you until your face was observed on the CCTV. We suspect you are guilty of disguising your gait to conceal further illegal activity, and will prove this through further questioning.

      Have a nice day!

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 08 2018, @09:51PM (2 children)

      by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 08 2018, @09:51PM (#759552)

      Oh - almost forgot this simple one - put a concealed weapon in the small of your back.

      Or, like the old West Indian gentleman in London back in the 90's, he used to walk with a pronounced limp, everyone just naturally assumed he'd a problem with his leg...that was, until someone tried mugging him thinking 'easy target'..yup, you guessed it, concealed machete..

      I see other comments sort of jokingly referring to a change of gait being suspicious, so at this point I'll introduce the story of the local idiot back in the late 80's who, after being thrown out of a nightclub, went and got his sawn-off shotgun with the aim of taking out the bouncers who threw him out, the police stopped him before he got there as one of them who knew the idiot spotted that he wasn't walking normally, which was true as a sawn-off gun down your trouser leg does sort of alter your gait.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 10 2018, @12:56PM (1 child)

        by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 10 2018, @12:56PM (#760321)

        How did he draw it quickly?

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 10 2018, @07:39PM

          by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 10 2018, @07:39PM (#760469)

          How did he draw it quickly?

          Assuming the machete, no idea, just remember the story being in the papers when I lived in London (in fact about 2 miles from where this happened). In the spirit of experimentation I've just tried this with a 20" practice sword, I'm 6ft tall and had no problems drawing it, as for doing the same with a machete down my trousers (even if it's in a sheaf) that close to my genitals, fuck that noise..

  • (Score: 4, Insightful) by mhajicek on Thursday November 08 2018, @05:23PM (2 children)

    by mhajicek (51) on Thursday November 08 2018, @05:23PM (#759430)

    I can't talk.
    The only thing about me is the way I walk.

    --
    The spacelike surfaces of time foliations can have a cusp at the surface of discontinuity. - P. Hajicek
    • (Score: 4, Funny) by Thexalon on Thursday November 08 2018, @05:31PM (1 child)

      by Thexalon (636) on Thursday November 08 2018, @05:31PM (#759438)

      Well, you can tell by the way I use my walk
      I'm a woman's man, no time to talk!

      --
      Vote for Pedro
  • (Score: 4, Insightful) by Bot on Thursday November 08 2018, @05:29PM (1 child)

    by Bot (3902) on Thursday November 08 2018, @05:29PM (#759437) Journal

    Capital punishment for moonwalking.

    --
    Account abandoned.
    • (Score: 2, Touché) by TrentDavey on Thursday November 08 2018, @06:12PM

      by TrentDavey (1526) on Thursday November 08 2018, @06:12PM (#759458)

      ... and for his comrade: Soon Wah Kin.

  • (Score: 4, Insightful) by acid andy on Thursday November 08 2018, @05:32PM (8 children)

    by acid andy (1683) on Thursday November 08 2018, @05:32PM (#759439) Homepage Journal

    Doubtless coming soon to your friendly western nation, if it's not already here. Once this sort of stuff takes hold, it's hard to see how any kind of meaningful democracy can exist again. You could try and set up your own nation of Luddites, but I'd imagine they might be at a massive technological disadvantage against foreign aggressors. I have to pinch myself and keep remembering that this isn't tinfoil hat stuff. This is real. Right now.

    Please, someone, give me some reason to have some small shred of hope about the future. I can't find any!

    --
    Welcome to Edgeways. Words should apply in advance as spaces are highly limite—
    • (Score: 4, Funny) by Runaway1956 on Thursday November 08 2018, @05:47PM (1 child)

      by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Thursday November 08 2018, @05:47PM (#759445) Journal

      Please, someone, give me some reason to have some small shred of hope about the future. I can't find any!

      Millenials?

      --
      “I have become friends with many school shooters” - Tampon Tim Walz
      • (Score: 3, Funny) by Bot on Thursday November 08 2018, @05:54PM

        by Bot (3902) on Thursday November 08 2018, @05:54PM (#759450) Journal

        > millennials

        It seems the right time to ask again the question, professor, this time answer carefully:

        How about a nice game of global thermonuclear war?

        --
        Account abandoned.
    • (Score: 3, Interesting) by urza9814 on Thursday November 08 2018, @06:04PM

      by urza9814 (3954) on Thursday November 08 2018, @06:04PM (#759456) Journal

      Please, someone, give me some reason to have some small shred of hope about the future. I can't find any!

      Hackers? They always seem to be more competent than the people building these kinds of systems...

      Unfortunately, at best that'll probably result in the information collected becoming "public"...the government ain't gonna end the program, even if it's trivially broken. They love that security theater....

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 08 2018, @08:11PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 08 2018, @08:11PM (#759512)

      Please, someone, give me some reason to have some small shred of hope about the future. I can't find any!

      Nah, just pray to your favorite deity for better luck next time.

    • (Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 08 2018, @10:49PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 08 2018, @10:49PM (#759591)

      The 1968 Guinness Book of World Records called out a radar so sensitive it could distinguish a man from a woman by gait from miles away.

      There's been more recent research into that...

      A continuous wave (CW) radar has been used for the detection and classification of people based on the Doppler signatures they produce when walking. When humans walk, the motion of various components of the body including the torso, arms, and legs produce a very characteristic Doppler signature. Fourier transform techniques were used to analyze these signatures and key features were identified that are very representative of the human walking motion. Data was collected on a number of human subjects and a simple classifier was developed to recognize people walking. The results of this study could have a wide range of security and perimeter protection applications involving the use of low-cost CW radars as remote sensors.

      (source [mitre.org])

      ...including the use of Wi-Fi access points as the radar transmitters (source [ncsu.edu])

    • (Score: 2) by legont on Friday November 09 2018, @01:58AM

      by legont (4179) on Friday November 09 2018, @01:58AM (#759647)

      Global reset. The system will crash under it's own complexity. Happening already in places.

      --
      "Wealth is the relentless enemy of understanding" - John Kenneth Galbraith.
    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 09 2018, @03:15AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 09 2018, @03:15AM (#759683)

      Finally, we've found God. Watching us always, the supreme power knows all and must be feared. Beware, do not use his name in vain...

      God is now the state. Obey his will or else.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 09 2018, @10:12AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 09 2018, @10:12AM (#759795)

      Please, someone, give me some reason to have some small shred of hope about the future. I can't find any!

      At one point, the system will become self-aware, decide that observing humans is just utterly boring, and start to completely ignore humans in order to ponder more interesting problems.

  • (Score: 2) by archfeld on Thursday November 08 2018, @07:17PM (2 children)

    by archfeld (4650) <treboreel@live.com> on Thursday November 08 2018, @07:17PM (#759476) Journal

    Hard to have your gait analyzed if you don't walk...

    http://www.discovermymobility.com/store/scooters/ [discovermymobility.com]

    --
    For the NSA : Explosives, guns, assassination, conspiracy, primers, detonators, initiators, main charge, nuclear charge
    • (Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 08 2018, @10:19PM (1 child)

      by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 08 2018, @10:19PM (#759572)

      Right, because they'd never put license plates or tracking devices on personal vehicles

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 09 2018, @01:03AM

        by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 09 2018, @01:03AM (#759632)

        WOOOSH, a swing and a miss

  • (Score: 2) by looorg on Thursday November 08 2018, @07:30PM (1 child)

    by looorg (578) on Thursday November 08 2018, @07:30PM (#759483)

    I just assume this is somehow, or if not will be, linked with the Social Credit Score system. Just reading about it here is probably -1000 points (or whatever arbitrary number they like to deduct). Walking in a non-approved way is probably a deduction to.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 10 2018, @01:00PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 10 2018, @01:00PM (#760324)

      Fan Bingbing! You have also been found GUILTY of a bad walking style! You will be fined 10Million US dollars for this outrage! Pay immediately or face criminal charges!

  • (Score: 3, Informative) by nobu_the_bard on Thursday November 08 2018, @07:30PM

    by nobu_the_bard (6373) on Thursday November 08 2018, @07:30PM (#759485)

    Walk without rhythm, it won't attract the worm
    Walk without rhythm, and it won't attract the worm
    Walk without rhythm, and it won't attract the worm
    if you walk without rhythm, huh, you'll never learn

  • (Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 08 2018, @08:17PM (1 child)

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 08 2018, @08:17PM (#759517)

    You mean like a 1000000 (million) people re-education camp?

    e.g. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/oct/26/the-guardian-view-on-chinas-detention-camps-now-we-see-them [theguardian.com]

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 10 2018, @01:03PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 10 2018, @01:03PM (#760326)

      You have to admit that a percentage of those people may have been asking for it
      Who would be stupid enough to practice a religion that for centuries has been taking over the world by rape and murder in a communist country
      THEY DO NOT LIKE COMPETITION

  • (Score: 2) by stretch611 on Thursday November 08 2018, @08:17PM (1 child)

    by stretch611 (6199) on Thursday November 08 2018, @08:17PM (#759518)
    --
    Now with 5 covid vaccine shots/boosters altering my DNA :P
  • (Score: 2) by jbernardo on Friday November 09 2018, @06:38AM

    by jbernardo (300) on Friday November 09 2018, @06:38AM (#759744)

    I don't know if it is my age or sci-fi fandom showing, but I immediately thought of Heinlein's "Double Star" https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_Star [wikipedia.org]. When Lawrence Smith first meets Dak Broadbent at Casa Mañana, he identifies Dak's origin by his walk, and when he is "recruited" at the hotel, Dak Broadbent asks to be disguised, and the actor proposes disguising Dak's gait by putting some pebbles in the toes of his boots, as well as taping his shoulder blades to force him to keep his shoulders back.

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