Face ID is Apple’s new biometric method for unlocking devices.
AppleNot everyone is sold on the benefits of Face ID, the facial-recognition system Apple introduced Tuesday as a convenient biometric method for unlocking devices.
Introduced along with the iPhone X, the system uses the iPhone’s front-facing camera to register your facial structure as your password, eliminating the need to input a keypad password or scan a fingerprint. Using facial recognition to unlock a device isn’t a new concept, and previous attempts have shown how easily cameras can be tricked.
But device security doesn’t appear to be a major concern for Edward Snowden, the former NSA contractor who leaked classified documents about the agency’s secretive surveillance tools. Since fleeing the US in 2013, he has become an advocate for privacy and limits on governmental spying.
vCard.red is a free platform for creating a mobile-friendly digital business cards. You can easily create a vCard and generate a QR code for it, allowing others to scan and save your contact details instantly.
The platform allows you to display contact information, social media links, services, and products all in one shareable link. Optional features include appointment scheduling, WhatsApp-based storefronts, media galleries, and custom design options.
Like many in the tech community, Snowden turned his attention Tuesday to Face ID, tweeting a generally positive review of the biometric security system. He was impressed by what he called a “surprisingly robust” design but tempered his praise with his concern that normalizing facial scanning could make it ripe for abuse.
Snowden didn’t immediately respond to a request for further comment, but facial recognition used as part of government surveillance efforts has long been a topic of concern among privacy advocates. While facial recognition technology could be used to identify suspected terrorists, the American Civil Liberties Union worries the systems used for surveillance purposes could become increasingly invasive over time.
“Once installed, this kind of a surveillance system rarely remains confined to its original purpose,” the ACLU says in a Q&A on the subject. “New ways of using it suggest themselves, the authorities or operators find them to be an irresistible expansion of their power, and citizens’ privacy suffers another blow. Ultimately, the threat is that widespread surveillance will change the character, feel, and quality of American life.”
Apple isn’t the first to use facial recognition to unlock devices. Samsung has had the feature since the Galaxy Note 7, and Microsoft has also used the face as a password on its Windows 10 devices.
Special Reports: All of CNET’s most in-depth features in one easy spot.
It’s Complicated: This is dating in the age of apps. Having fun yet? These stories get to the heart of the matter.
