MegaPixels: your face, whose datasets?
May 26, 2019 12:03 PM Subscribe
MegaPixels is a project to document the origin and use of facial recognition datasets. In many cases, datasets generated by academic researchers in the United States (such as one created by Stanford University based on a webcam showing customers at now-defunct San Francisco cafe/laundromat/comedy venue BrainWash) have been used by researchers in countries like China, which as previously noted has been using facial recognition particularly on the Uighur ethnic minority group. MegaPixels is a project by Adam Harvey and Jules LaPlace. Harvey’s past projects include facial recognition-jamming disguises CV Dazzle (Previously.)
Other datasets have been captured at places like Duke University campus and via photos posted on websites; people have not given consent for these uses.
There was a public exhibit of the MegaPixels project in London in 2017 which included a kiosk where you could determine if your image was in one of the facial recognition databases. A similar search feature is planned for the website.
The there is also a page of the website with press links including one (Previously) about the use of YouTube videos of trans people, and a recent Washington Post editorial about Microsoft’s collaboration with a Chinese military university.
Other datasets have been captured at places like Duke University campus and via photos posted on websites; people have not given consent for these uses.
There was a public exhibit of the MegaPixels project in London in 2017 which included a kiosk where you could determine if your image was in one of the facial recognition databases. A similar search feature is planned for the website.
The there is also a page of the website with press links including one (Previously) about the use of YouTube videos of trans people, and a recent Washington Post editorial about Microsoft’s collaboration with a Chinese military university.
Thanks for posting this. The speed at which these databases are being shared and monetized is increasingly alarming, especially considering the primary purchasers.
posted by aspersioncast at 9:39 AM on May 28, 2019
posted by aspersioncast at 9:39 AM on May 28, 2019
Updates:
Duke has taken down the dataset of images of students taken on campus.
Microsoft took down MS Celeb dataset.
University of Colorado dataset only temporarily down.
Stanford BrainWash dataset has been removed from access.
Before it was taken down it was confirmed that the BrainWash dataset included images from comedy night.
posted by larrybob at 8:12 PM on June 13, 2019
Duke has taken down the dataset of images of students taken on campus.
Microsoft took down MS Celeb dataset.
University of Colorado dataset only temporarily down.
Stanford BrainWash dataset has been removed from access.
Before it was taken down it was confirmed that the BrainWash dataset included images from comedy night.
posted by larrybob at 8:12 PM on June 13, 2019
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