In 2011, taken by the emergence of mass protest movements around the world, artist Zach Blas began making, "Facial Weaponization Suite, (2011 - present)."[Video]
Facial Weaponization Suite is a series of community workshops which discuss and resist biometric facial recognition technologies and the larger political ethos which supports and enforces them. The workshop participants then have their own faces scanned and compiled into a collective mask, a mask which resists any biometric quantification. Vice got Blas on the phone to learn a little more about the project.
The mask does appear to defeat the many algorithms that are currently employed by tracking cameras that are used in many countries. Of course, some countries have already brought in or at least proposed legislation to ban the wearing of any kind of mask in public (unless a masquerade party is being held) but, in the case of a mass demonstration, it might be enough to protect an individual from being recognised or having their movements tracked unless (s)he was physically detained. How long will it be before legislation is brought in to outlaw the manufacture or sale of such masks?
(Score: 2) by lubricus on Saturday July 12 2014, @04:39PM
Of course, the fact that the mask can defeat biometrics is not the point. If that were all you want you could just carry wear a paper plate on your face and be slightly less conspicuous than the people with these masks, plus have plausible deniability if someone caught you carrying it.
As a protest mask, I think I'd still prefer Guy Fawkes.
... sorry about the typos