Earlier this year, Facebook filed a patent application claiming a method for identifying camera signatures based on features extracted from uploaded images, including faulty pixel positions in the camera and metadata available in files storing the images. The patent also claims a method for making inferences about the users associated with the cameras. For reference, the abstract of the patent application is included below:
Images uploaded by users of a social networking system are analyzed to determine signatures of cameras used to capture the images. A camera signature comprises features extracted from images that characterize the camera used for capturing the image, for example, faulty pixel positions in the camera and metadata available in files storing the images. Associations between users and cameras are inferred based on actions relating users with the cameras, for example, users uploading images, users being tagged in images captured with a camera, and the like. Associations between users of the social networking system related via cameras are inferred. These associations are used beneficially for the social networking system, for example, for recommending potential connections to a user, recommending events and groups to users, identifying multiple user accounts created by the same user, detecting fraudulent accounts, and determining affinity between users.
The “fingerprinting” of cameras claimed in the patent poses several privacy concerns. Although Facebook states that the claimed process could be used as a means of “identifying multiple user accounts created by the same user, detecting fraudulent accounts, and determining affinity between users,” the process also significantly diminishes the ability of individuals to anonymously take and upload photos online. Currently, individuals have several means to protect their privacy through the removal of geolocation and other metadata before uploading their photos to online services such as Facebook. The process claimed by Facebook in this patent application would essentially override the ability of users to remove metadata and protect their privacy by identifying data directly from the camera—such as lens scratches or flawed pixels.
Though technical solutions could be used to maintain anonymity even if Facebook’s patent application goes through—including, for example, an application that randomly includes flawed pixels or minor lens scratches to photographs before they are uploaded without diminishing overall picture quality—we should nonetheless question whether the benefits introduced by this new patent application outweigh the privacy risks.
References:
https://www.google.com/patents/US20150124107
http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2015/09/18/facebook-wants-to-be-able-to-fingerprint-a-single-im