Student thwarts face detection software with 'CV Dazzle' makeup

Not interested in having yourself automatically identified in photos across the internet? Then you might want to take a cue from Adam Ant (or Blade Runner's Pris, if you prefer), as Adam Harvey, a student in NYU's Interactive Telecommunication Program, has discovered that some over the top face makeup applied in just the right way can thwart most facial recognition software. Dubbed CV Dazzle (after the Dazzle camouflage used in World War I), the makeup works simply by enhancing areas of the face that you otherwise wouldn't ordinarily enhance -- so instead of applying the makeup around your eyes, you'd apply some on your cheeks and effectively "invert" that area. According to Harvey, that method is effective at blocking the face recognition used by Facebook, Picasa and Flickr -- and it doesn't simply cause some mild confusion, it actually prevents the software from detecting any face at all. Head on past the break for a quick video.