Growing incentives for wearing masks
Even before the coronavirus pandemic, masks were
a common defence against air
pollution and viral infection in countries including China and Japan.
Political activists also wear masks to evade detection on the streets. Both the Hong Kong
and Black Lives Matter protests have reinforced protesters’
desire to dodge facial
recognition by authorities and government agencies.
As experts forecast a future with more pandemics, rising
levels of air pollution, persisting
authoritarian regimes and a projected increase in bushfires producing dangerous smoke –
it’s likely mask-wearing will become the norm for at least a proportion of us.
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Facial recognition systems will need to adapt. Detection will
be based on features that
remain visible such as the eyes, eyebrows, hairline and general shape of the face.
Such technologies are already under development. Several suppliers
are offering upgrades
and solutions that claim to deliver reliable results with mask-wearing subjects.
For those who oppose the use of facial recognition and wish to go undetected,
a plain
mask may suffice for now. But in the future they might have to consider alternatives, such
as a mask printed with a fake computer-generated face.
