Software companies are using private photos to build facial recognition systems. A new website can help determine if your photos are among them.
There is virtually nothing you can do to protect your online privacy
The website, called exposing.ai, searches public databases to determine whether your Flickr photos have been used for AI research. Software developers often use publicly available images to train their recognition systems. The practice may be legal, but some experts consider it unethical.
"The fact that these photos are being used without people's knowledge is a significant invasion of privacy," Thierry Tremblay, CEO and founder of database software company Kohezion, said in an email interview. "That's a particular concern for minorities who could be profiled and targeted. Furthermore, users don't necessarily consent to being scanned every time they appear in public."
The exposing.ai website works by checking to see if your photos are included in publicly available datasets. It searches for Flickr usernames and photo IDs. All you have to do is enter your Flickr username, photo URL, or hashtag into the site's search bar.
