Researchers bypass airport and payment facial recognition systems using masks

Facial recognition technology is increasingly used for everything from government surveillance to convenient online logins, especially in China. A new test reported by Fortune casts doubt on the accuracy of some such systems, however, by showing that they can be fooled by users wearing masks. To perform the test, artificial intelligence company Kneron commissioned high-quality 3D masks that mimicked the face of another person, and tested whether someone could wear one to fool facial recognition systems. Researchers were able to make purchases from another person's account via the AliPay and WeChat payment systems. The team were even able to fool systems at airports. In Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, they managed to trick a self-boarding system with just a photo of another person's face.