orwell vs nixon jowls...

Spike Jones (spike66@ibm.net)
Mon, 06 Dec 1999 20:13:06 -0800

Charlie Stross wrote:

> Here in the UK, we're building the infrastructure of a very efficient
> panopticon surveillance society. 600,000 CCTV cameras went up in
> ...
> they're testing neural network based face recognition systems that will
> alert them if certain suspects are seen in public -- suspects believed...

Looks like this could be easily fooled with something as simple as those Groucho Marx glasses/nose combination. If one were to be seen wearing that, people would understand it is a citizens protest against universal surveillance. Now, if it becomes illegal to wear Groucho glasses, *then* one should worry.

Perhaps this is a typical aerospace-antimissile-vs-missile mindset, but looks to me that one could have fun using technological means to defeat automated face recognition without making obvious one is using it, such as inflatable jowls. Or a skin coating that changes color on command. Or automatic eyebrow lifters. Eyebrow lowerers. Forehead wrinklers. Lip extenders. Nostril flarerers. What else could we do? spike