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by ck2 4743 days ago
Another good article from The Atlantic.

ps. Can they start using other photos of Snowden? I mean come on, is that the only one the media has?

3 comments

The Onion has your back: "Nation Demands New Photograph Of Edward Snowden"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5H_b3mVz8s

I think the lack of photos is intentional. If I were him, I'd make sure everyone thinks I look a certain way and not give evidence of a variety of ways I could look.
He's also said repeatedly he wants the focus to be on his disclosures and the wrongdoing; NOT on him, how his girlfriend looks, etc. Using the same boring picture over-and-over is probably what he wants and appreciates.
You mean the "clever" way he has a half grown beard so we instantly know both how he would look with a beard and without?

I just fear for him if he is caught, he will certainly be tortured by any side including USA.

Facial recognition is, amusingly, flagging other people as Snowden. "Is this you?"
On facial recognition: my understanding is that in addition to using data points that are relatively easy to change with makeup or surgery (cheekbone height, nose, etc), they use some that are not such as eyeball distance. However, could the eyeball based datapoints be tricked with specially crafted lenses in glasses frames?
Sun glasses? (or polarized glasses)
But they could pass a law prohibiting the covering of your face like in France. "The French ban on face covering (...) is an act of parliament passed by the Senate of France on 14 September 2010, resulting in the ban on the wearing of face-covering headgear, including masks, helmets, balaclava, niqābs and other veils covering the face in public places, except under specified circumstances.

( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_ban_on_face_covering )

Sun glasses have the disadvantage of standing out indoors. Polarized glasses is an interesting idea though..