FaceShield, which uses artificial intelligence techniques to create Instagram-like filters that make noise to reduce the chances of facial detection, has launched to protect customers’ online identity.
To use the software, just upload your image into FaceShield’s platform, which applies a filter of your choice to break face detectors. When the photo is uploaded, FaceShield’s algorithm generates “noise” on the photo to jam facial detection technology. Through artificial intelligence, FaceShield automatically applies noise to common areas of the photo that face detectors naturally recognize, including the eyes, nose and jaw. The result of the noise is a shielded version that fools face detectors.
“While the general population is becoming more aware of online privacy and security issues, the vast majority is not aware that their facial data is being mined to create digital profiles for a variety of uses by third parties, which is a huge personal privacy violation,” said Joey Bose, founder and president of FaceShield. “We discovered that we could misguide a face detector into failure through advanced algorithms and technology that we’ve turned into a simple service for everyone to protect their identity online. The reality is people want to steal your data — and you need to protect it if you don’t want it to land in the wrong hands.”
The FaceShield demo on the website offers three different filters for your photos, each of which provide a different level of image alteration and protection. The subtle option uses a discreet filter that keeps the image as identical as possible to the original, but has the capability of breaking certain face detectors. The medium and intense filters increase the noticeability of the changes to the image, but break more detectors.
FaceShield is available via desktop and mobile browser.