A viral TikTok account is doxing ordinary and otherwise anonymous people on the internet using off-the-shelf facial recognition technology, creating content and growing a following by taking advantage of a fundamental new truth: privacy is now essentially dead in public spaces.
The 90,000 follower-strong account typically picks targets who appeared in other viral videos, or people suggested to the account in the comments. Many of the account’s videos show the process: screenshotting the video of the target, cropping images of the face, running those photos through facial recognition software, and then revealing the person’s full name, social media profile, and sometimes employer to millions of people who have liked the videos. There’s an entire branch of content on TikTok in which creators show off their OSINT doxing skills—OSINT being open source intelligence, or information that is openly available online. But the vast majority of them do it with the explicit consent of the target. This account is doing the same, without the consent of the people they choose to dox. As a bizarre aside, the account appears to be run by a Taylor Swift fan, with many of the doxing videos including Swift’s music, and including videos of people at the Eras Tour.
404 Media is not naming the account because TikTok has decided to not remove it from the platform. TikTok told me the account does not violate its policies; one social media policy expert I spoke to said TikTok should reevaluate that position.
The TikTok account, conversations with victims, and TikTok’s own lack of action on the account show that access to facial recognition technology, combined with a cultural belief that anything public is fair game to exploit for clout, now means that all it takes is one random person on the internet to target you and lead a crowd in your direction.
One target told me he felt violated after the TikTok account using facial recognition tech targeted him. Another said they initially felt flattered before “that promptly gave way to worry.” All of the victims I spoke to echoed one general point—this behavior showed them just how exposed we all potentially are simply by existing in public.
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This has, disappointingly, always been the inevitable truth. The same technology that propels us also further binds us. Today, it’s facial recognition. Well before that, our phone and web data, license plate scanners, employee badges, credit card usage could reasonably track and expose us.
The tech itself isn’t harmful, it’s how it’s used that causes harm. People need and absolutely deserve protection - perhaps through legislation. The unfortunate thing is that responding to hysteria only handicaps technology we don’t yet fully understand.
How does that apply to facial recognition tech? Its sole purpose is surveillance. Yeah and the negligible added convience to unlock your phone without touching it. I guess that justifies it to many.
Well, it is nice to automatically label who’s who in my photo collection…
I’ve only ever had android phones, mostly the google-brand because they were cheap and no-frills android. It has always struck me as bizarre that people would use their face to unlock their device. I know it’s gotten better but that seems way easier to spoof than even fingerprints. I’ve seen several episodes on TV where this has literally happened so it’s not even an unknown fear.
Ignoring any spoofing concerns, in the US biometrics aren’t universally covered under the 5th ammendment so police can force you to unlock your devices if they are secured with them vs a password.
https://www.concordlawschool.edu/blog/constitutional-law/fifth-amendment-biometrics/
If you have evidence of illegal things on your devices this isn’t something you’ll want. If you don’t have any evidence on your devices this is something you still shouldn’t want.