Encrypted messaging app Signal adds facial recognition protection for protesters
This is how Signal’s new tool works.
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Encrypted messaging app Signal reveals a Blur tool It can be used to hide faces in photos on Wednesday before sharing them. Signal said the tool aims to protect protesters’ identities is currently demonstrating against police brutality.
In the app’s image editor, users can tap the new blur icon at the top of the screen. The tool automatically recognizes and blurs the faces in the image. The tool also offers the ability to manually blur other areas of the image such as tattoos, logos, street signs and badges.
“These system libraries are not perfect. They don’t recognize every face 100% of the time. Because of these errors and potential distortions, it was important to extend the standard functionality so that you could always draw with the blur brush to cover it up manually.” additional faces or areas in a photo, “said Signal in a blog entry. “We also worked to find additional ways that we can now support everyone on the street.”
Signal has seen an increase in downloads as demonstrations in the United States increase after George Floyd’s murder on May 25. Since then, the app has been downloaded 121,000 times in the United States. after recoderelying on data from Apptopia.
The blurring tool could offer demonstrators some protection from facial recognition, which is increasingly being used by law enforcement agencies, although it is not always correct, especially among ethnic groups, women and young people.
The face blur tool is added to the latest version of the Android and iOS app. Signal said the update has already been submitted to the app stores and will be available soon.
