Fingerprint theft via selfies, group photos easier with AI technology: Expert

Be careful when you post selfies or group photos online.

With AI technology, the ubiquitous V hand sign in selfies and group photos may lead to fingerprint theft.

A financial security expert who appeared on a China reality show in April demonstrated how fingerprints could be extracted from a celebrity's selfie using AI tools.

"If the pads of the fingers are directly exposed towards the camera and photographed from within about 1.5m of the lens, there is a high possibility that fingerprint information can be extracted relatively clearly," the expert, Li Chang, was quoted saying by The Korea Herald on Tuesday (May 12).

He added that photos taken from 1.5m to 3m away could still reveal about half of the fingerprint details.

The reality programme showed fingerprint ridges becoming visible after the image was enhanced with photo-editing software and AI tools, reported South China Morning Post (SCMP).

But extracting fingerprints is usually difficult in real-world situations, Pei Zhiyong, director of the Qianxin Industry Security Research Centre, told SCMP.

Still, there have been reported cases involving fingerprint theft. 

In July last year, a man in Hangzhou, China posted a photo online with his fingers visible, according to Sohu News. Criminals then tried to use the image of his fingerprint to unlock the smart lock to his home.

News reports about fingerprint theft linked to photos struck a chord with South Koreans, according to The Korea Herald.

South Koreans use a variety of hand gestures when taking photos, such as finger hearts made by crossing the thumb and index finger, and half-heart gestures formed with one hand against the cheek.

The Korean daily quoted Pei saying: "It's safer not to share too many photos showing your fingers online and to avoid saving your fingerprints on devices you don't fully trust."

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helmy.saat@asiaone.com