Privacy Visor: Glasses That Block Facial Recognition Software

Are you worried about the rise in privacy invading software and hardware? Tokyo’s National Institute of Informatics Professor Isao Echizen’s “Privacy Visor” helps you avoid at least one aspect of privacy invasion — facial recognition software.

The “Privacy Visor” emits an infrared light which blocks facial recognition software by confusing the signals it receives. Professor Echizen’s new wearable technology comes just one week after another company announced a stealth hoodie that also blocks signals sent by spy drones and thermal radiation scanners.

Speaking to Slate professor Echizen explained:

“Essential measures for preventing the invasion of privacy caused by photographs taken in secret and unintentional capture in camera images is now required.”

While confusing scanners use to be a simple processor of wearing heavy makeup or tilting your head in a certain direction that has changed in the last several years as new advances have been made.

Stealth wearables are quickly making their rounds and they all have one thing in common, they aim not to hide a person’s appearance but rather to confuse technologies that prey on that appearance. While a camera can still pick up a wearers face and body outline the technology used to match the persons appearance is not able to find a suitable match.

Even Hollywood celebrities are getting in on stealth wearables with an anti-paparazzi purse that obscures photos by emitting a pulse of light that messes with camera bulbs.

In the meantime it isn’t just the private sector that is worried about some forms of facial recognition, Facebook’s own technology has come under fire by various federal entities include the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

With drones soon expected to operate under the control of the NYPD and other state and city agencies it is likely that even with regulation wearable stealth technology will continue to develop and become more popular than ever before.

Are you prepared to purchase and use wearable technology for stealth privacy?

[Image via crunchwear]