Posting to Australian privacy policy-watcher's list on 15 April 2008:
At 11:57 +1000 15/4/08, Usman Iqbal wrote:
>An article on the BBC website regarding Google's tackling child
>pornographers using pattern recognition.
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7347476.stm>>http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7347476.stm
>I wonder what other "stereotypes" may be developed using this technology.
You have to dig deep to get a clue as to what they're actually doing:
"The programme uses pattern recognition and will work even if the
pattern has been modified," explained technology analyst Larry Magid.
"So if police can identify a pattern such as a calendar on the wall
or a t-shirt logo, they have a much better chance of finding the
exploited child and catching the suspect."
So I infer that the sequence is:
- establish (manually) a collection of images [that include child abuse]
- find (manually) sub-sets of images that may assist in identifying a
person or location, or correlate a sub-set of the collection as
having an apparent association with the same person or location,
e.g. picture on wall, calendar, logo, maybe even unusual room-shape
- extract those sub-sets of images (manually) and make them available
to pattern-matching software (which it is to be assumed can cater for
differing orientation, scale, lighting-conditions, etc.?)
- using the pattern, search the remainder of the collection for matches
- examine (manually) the putative matches
If my inference is correct, Google aren't pretending that they can do magic.
So I for one can feel positive about what may (but may not) turn out
to be a valuable, or at least useful, contribution to forensic
procedures.
It's really important in situations like this to get solid
information out the door, rather than garbled PR material, because
otherwise you end up with befuddled journos who mislead the public
and cause cynicism about exaggerated claims.
--
Roger Clarke http://www.anu.edu.au/people/Roger.Clarke/
Xamax Consultancy Pty Ltd 78 Sidaway St, Chapman ACT 2611 AUSTRALIA
Tel: +61 2 6288 1472, and 6288 6916
mailto:[log in to unmask] http://www.xamax.com.au/
Visiting Professor in Info Science & Eng Australian National University
Visiting Professor in the eCommerce Program University of Hong Kong
Visiting Professor in the Cyberspace Law & Policy Centre Uni of NSW
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