New facial recognition app scans strangers for personal information, criminal background.

NameTag: Facial recognition app scans faces for dating profiles, criminal background.

The makers of new app called NameTag are promising that in the future “your photo shares you” by allowing users to scan strangers using facial recognition technology and then match them to a publicly-available online profiles.

The app currently works on Google Glass but its makers, FacialNetwork.com, are promising to bring the technology to smartphones in the future.

FacialNetwork have not made it clear how they will compile their database, but the suggestion is that any information that has been made public – users’ profiles on Twitter or Facebook for example – will be considered fair game.

And, theres the kicker. People on facebook put their information on a public website but I doubt they thought they'd be agreeing to this.

Which is why Facebook will continue its decline: Facebook loses millions of users as biggest markets peak.

Individuals can opt-out of the system, but only by signing up to the company’s NameTag service.

Well thats convenient. In order to "opt-out" all you have to do is sign up with their service...

“It’s not about invading anyone’s privacy;...

Really? The fact that I dont have any say in strangers who retrieve my personal information doesnt invade my privacy?

The developers are currently creating technology that will allow their facial recognition software to compare results with photos from dating sites including Plenty of Fish, Ok Cupid and Match. The technology also currently allows American users to compare photos with the more than 450,000 entries in the National Sex Offender Registry and other criminal databases.

“I believe that this will make online dating and offline social interactions much safer and give us a far better understanding of the people around us,” said Tussy.

Make dating safer? By creating the ultimate stalker app?

The national sex offender database is available online. Someone can access it from their phone regardless.

This makes me want to opt out of reality. Makes me want to run about telling folks that soylent green is people and big brother is all around us. How I long for simpler times. By simpler I do not mean the tec in the op. By simpler I mean getting rid of the tec in the op. World is crazy...

reply to post by gladtobehere


This is really creepy and unfortunately going to be our reality. Soon, everyone, anywhere will be able to know every move you make, every item you buy, every place you go, everything you do.

Every appliance, lightbulb, TV will somehow "gather data" on everyone in their own homes and businesses. Every restaurant, store, public place will have the ability to "listen in" on your conversations, record you, etc.

I read that small listening devices are already hidden in tiny objects that look like a small stone. Imagine that those are dropped off in parks, suburban streets, potted plants at the coffee shop -- and then there is no place to be "alone" or private. Imagine small insect like drones that can fly about and capture data.

I'm not paranoid. And years ago, those unfortunate folks who were had no idea they were "predicting" the future in a way.

The scary future seems to be a short time away. I hope I am wrong.

I wonder if a small mirrored head band would defeat this? or, if there are small innovative cosmetic changes you can add to prevent it?

reply to post by gladtobehere


How to delete yourself from the internet

Further, there's Online Identity Management in which one brands themselves to present whatever desired image they want to present online.
This can be done through companies that now exist in providing the service of doing this for you, or, there are How To DIY instructions all over the net for those with time and patience enough to do so.

In essence, it's really just about managing your own public narrative that exists online.

You can cry about the ocean.
You can cry into the ocean.
You can try to fight it, but, in the end, one either moves inland, learns to float, or learns to swim.

Yup, just wait a few years and we'll all be living in a communist state.

Thanks to these devices people will become an all present police-force.
Everyone will be stuffing his nose into everyone else's business.
People will report you to the police as soon as you speak up your mind about something,
after all that's offensive to -(insert group of people here)-.

Thinking of "going off the grid"? Ha!
The first person you encounter that won't be able to see your profile will alert the authorities:
NEXT STOP, PRISON! (afterall if you are not in the database you MUST have something to hide).

Then again I might be exaggerating...hopefully...

reply to post by gladtobehere


On the upside, I can think of a few women who could have used this when someone first asked them out and saved themself a LOT of grief.

On the downside, what if someone decides to mess up your life by posting bogus info?

However, I see a use for a handheld FR app for LEO's .

I highly doubt this will take off. And this is why I hesitate to even get involved in any Andriod or google technology from here out. I got a gmail account a while back, and that is pretty much as far as I go.
But of course, I was FORCED to merg. my google account with google+ and youtube, who knows what else I'll be forced to do just to use simple services like watching videos online.
And it's why I still use a blackberry phone, the software isn't in my face, merg this or that. And that's why pretty much all military around the world use Blackberry software.

technology is going to be the decline of real relationships now days, just look at Japan and S.Korea, their eldery populations are higher than people in their 20s! All because of computers, cell phones, and all that stuff. It blows my mind. What ever happened to getting to know someone, sitting down, having a cup of coffee?

One more reason to get the heck out of this technological society. Nicaragua/Costa Rica, looking better and better all the time.

reply to post by gladtobehere


As far as im concerned these are fighting words....id sue the f out of them if they used me for anything and if not...i think its worth dying for to destroy them. I feel that strongly about it. Imagine working in any kind of clandestine work to be exposed suddenly to the enemy without you knowing it. This will put peoples lives at risks....soldiers....case officers...now imagine taking photos of two people sitting by each other then trying to manipulate they are contacts...for example....you find one is a felon for fraud while another is an ex prosecutor and then some kind of manipulative story emerges from it when neither one of the people knew anything about the other.

This is dangerous...and I will fight...civilly...if that fails then physically...not a threat...but a promise....they do not have this right.

It is too easy to have something online too...many of us have tried at least one social media site...lets say you didnt have any though..who is stop people from scanning year books from highschool...or in some cases for people who dont have facebook...their family may still post photos of them and then it could trigger from the scan who im related too.

Man i havent felt this strong about something in a long time....#

reply to post by gladtobehere



Twitter and Facebook are fair game?

Well that settles it....

If this or any similar type of App goes public I'll either close and delete all online info I have direct access to or simply drastically reduce what is available if possible. Hopefully BEFORE they can get their hands on it. On FB I decide what is public and what is only available to my 'Friends' or so FB states.

So, If anything outside of that shows up I can imagine massive lawsuits. As far as publicly available 'Criminal Records' I guess that IS fair game.

reply to post by MadHatter364


god damn man you are so right....if you dont pop up itll be enough to call for reasonable suspicion and a search warrant...at which they will take a photo of you specifically for it....then apologize and walk away while now all your data is in "compliance" ...# this...

reply to post by gladtobehere


So my rights to privacy are not applicable outside my home?

I don't want every business I go into or every person I pass by trying to recognize me without my permission.

jimmyx
I wonder if a small mirrored head band would defeat this? or, if there are small innovative cosmetic changes you can add to prevent it?

yes hair across your face, hat and glasses, scarves all slow down or hinder such programs.

reply to post by BlastedCaddy


I hear you brother. Coincidentally I have a Mick Dodge marathon on NGC going on in the background---He's the mountain man hermit that lives on the land up here on the Olympic Peninsula. Stuff like this makes me totally understand men like him.

This sort of garbage has concerned me for quite a long time; I saw it coming a mile away. And what really bugs me is, I don’t think that we can stop it now. Sure, you can try to minimize your online profile, but there’s already a sh-tload of “private”stuff about you already out there; especially if you use any of the social networking services, cloud services, blah, blah, blah. With hi-tech advancing so quickly, it wont be long before the net knows EVERYTHING about you - warts and all. This “ïnternet of everything” stuff that companies like Google are developing really concerns me. Soon all your home appliances will be spying on you. While your refrigerator is mischievously spamming you, your toaster will be snapping pics of you (no more running around the house nude!) and relaying the data back to headquarters. What a fate we’ve chosen!

My ex-wife used to get a kick out of those online public records services. You know, the ones where you pay a few bucks and get every sordid detail about someone’s past life. She knew everyone’s dirty laundry. It used to piss me off, and we had a few disputes over it. I feel that’s stepping over the line. Even when it comes to arrest records. I mean, what if someone got busted a time or 2 in the past for petty drug charges, or whatever, and had to do time over it. But, that person has cleaned up since and is a really decent individual (I'm not implying that people with minor offenses are bad people). Maybe that person would like to keep what happened in Las Vegas in Las Vegas. That sort of thing can really stigmatize a person, and it’s not fair. Personally, I don’t feel right about prying into someone else’s personal affairs. If they want me to know something, they can tell me. Or, if I’m all that concerned about it, then I can take the trouble to find out what I need to know through law enforcement channels. I don’t think everyone should be able to find out about someone else so easily; not without good cause. I’ve been working in IS/IT all my working life, and I love hi-tech, but I do think there should be limits on an individuals ability to obtain another’s personal information - otherwise, I consider it an invasion of privacy.

You know, it’s not what the NSA has on you that should be of greatest concern. It’s what Google knows about you that will bite you in the ass some day.

Just my personal opinion...

Well, this is an interesting private version. Imagine the State version, when it gets going and is fully integrated with the computer power to support it. People objected to license plate scanners? Heck.. Wait till every cop has google glass and a car mounted version for an instant evaluation and return of interesting notes to whomever is walking by in a crowd or down a sidewalk.

The future isn't a fun place for everyone, that's for sure.

Interesting how Facebook is loosing members, finally. Though, I don't believe it is mostly because of privacy concerns, seems so far from articles written on the subject that those in concern are mostly the young people who don't want family snooping on them. They are then migrating to sites such as Tumbler where they share images but I don't believe personal info such as what is displayed on Facebook.

Makes you wonder what percentage of adults are leaving for privacy concerns. Many just seem too ingrained into the system(not talking about users in general that really need it as a form of communication but those who are sharing very personal stuff then finding it compromises parts of their daily lives), probably willing to move on to what ever comes next in the similar line of "invasive" social sites, and with that embracing the facial recognition apps. Some of the commercials for background checks apps already advertise to "know your date before you date them". So there's going to be more of a push for people seeing it as a convenience in their lives.

Wouldn't it be easier and cheaper for employees, etc., to just scan your face for a background check and or social check that they do now days? In the end it looks like this all might be embraced, any objectors will have to find ways around it, until those will become illegal in some way(ie: no sun glasses or hats in the store, or vicinity to scanning cameras).

If someone attempted I scan me and I found out I would break their phone, or their google glasses. And walk away. Massive violation of privacy. It's judging a person by their cover. Without ever understanding that the U.S. is not a bird in the hand it's two #s in a bush.