Augmented reality and how it could lead to identity theft
September 11, 2009 – 3:53 pm
There’s a new buzz phrase that everyone seems to be talking about lately. It’s called augmented reality. What augmented reality (or AR for short) means is that normal physical reality is being used as a foundation with computer augmented reality being place on top of it. The most typical use of it currently is with software running in smart phones equipped with video cameras, like the iPhone 3GS.
For example, running a certain application on your phone can display information on landmarks that you’re viewing through the phone’s camera. It can show you ratings and customer reviews on stores and restaurants. It can even give you personal information about people on the other side of the lens.
Technologically this is a direction that we’re heading to quickly. Expect to hear more about augmented reality in the near future. But with the ease of use that AR programs off there’s also the ability to abuse them or use them for unethical purposes. For now, AR programs that display information on a person do so by using facial recognition to match their face to the desired amount of info they’d like to have out there. They can choose to show their Twitter, Facebook, virtual business card and a plethora of other things.
Privacy advocates are already wondering how long it will be before this turns into tracking software used by companies and governments. Also, what’s to stop identity thieves from creating their own database that has your face (scanned from a driver’s license) with your bank account, credit card numbers, address and social security number? The next time you see someone pointing a smart phone in your direction, they may be getting more than a just pretty shot.
Tags: ar, augmented reality, facial recognition, id theft and augmented reality, privacy concerns, tat, thieves using augmented reality
