---
title: "The Digest: Facial Recognition Tech Is No Match for Juggalo Makeup"
description: "The makeup worn by Juggalos, fans of the rap group Insane Clown Posse, confuses facial recognition systems, according to a computer science blogger."
date: "2018-07-03"
modified: "2018-07-03"
authors:
  - name: "Kristin Houser"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/kristin.md"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/juggalos-makeup-facial-recognition"
categories:
  - "Artificial Intelligence"
  - "Facial recognition"
tags:
  - "facial recognition"
  - "icp"
  - "juggalo"
  - "the digest"
---

# The Digest: Facial Recognition Tech Is No Match for Juggalo Makeup

![](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/juggalo-facial-recognition.png>)
*\<em\>Image: Emily Cho\</em\>*

**LOOKING FOR A REASON TO BECOME A JUGGALO?** Twitter user @tahkion has discovered a new way to beat [facial recognition systems](<https://www.aclu.org/issues/privacy-technology/surveillance-technologies/face-recognition-technology>), computer programs that analyze images or videos of people's faces for the purposes of identifying them. In a series of tweets on Saturday, the computer science blogger for *WonderHowTo* described how the face makeup favored by Juggalos — die-hard fans of the musical group Insane Clown Posse — [confuses the systems](<https://theoutline.com/post/5172/juggalo-juggalette-facepaint-makeup-hack-beat-facial-recognition-technology?utm_source=FB&zr=fee4nrhy&zd=2&zi=xb7ddafj>) to the point they can't accurately identify people.

https://twitter.com/tahkion/status/1013304616958607360

**RIGHT PLACEMENT, WRONG PERSON.** According to @tahkion, the key to the success of the makeup is where you put the paint. Blacking out the area below the mouth but above the chin — as many Juggalos do — tricks facial recognition systems into identifying jawline much closer to the mouth than it really is. This prevents the system from accurately connecting a person in Juggalo makeup to an image of that person without the makeup on.

https://twitter.com/tahkion/status/1013568373622362113

However, as @tahkion [explained in a reply](<https://twitter.com/tahkion/status/1013645748607508481>) to another Twitter user, a facial recognition system *could* likely match two images of the same painted Juggalo — assuming they wore their makeup exactly the same way in both images.

https://twitter.com/tahkion/status/1013645748607508481

**HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT.** As facial recognition systems become more sophisticated, they're also becoming more commonly used. China is arguably at the forefront of this trend, using facial recognition tech to [enforce laws](<https://futurism.com/facial-recognition-china-social-credit.md>) and [identify criminals](<https://futurism.com/chinese-police-facial-recognition-glasses-surveillance-arsenal.md>), but the tech is quickly gaining favor in the U.S., too.

Amazon has come under fire from [privacy advocates and its own employees](<https://futurism.com/amazon-rekognition-employees.md>) for helping U.S. law enforcement agencies implement a [facial recognition system](<https://futurism.com/police-surveillance-gets-terrifying-boost-from-amazons-ai-facial-recognition.md>), and in August, the U.S. will begin using facial recognition technology to identify people entering and leaving the nation along part of its [southern border](<https://futurism.com/facial-recognition-us-borders.md>).

Past attempts to confuse these systems often involve [complicated technology](<http://fortune.com/2018/06/13/trick-facial-recognition/>) or [deliver mixed results](<https://twitter.com/tahkion/status/1013324066361524224>). Now, anyone who wants to keep their identity a secret simply needs to invest in some black and white body paint and check out a [Juggalo makeup tutorial](<https://youtu.be/aVI7umhACy8>) or two.

**READ MORE:** [Juggalos Figured out How to Beat Facial Recognition](<https://theoutline.com/post/5172/juggalo-juggalette-facepaint-makeup-hack-beat-facial-recognition-technology?utm_source=FB&zr=fee4nrhy&zd=2&zi=xb7ddafj>) \[*The Outline*\]

### Author social links  
[LinkedIn](<https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristinjhouser>)

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- [Chaotic Italian Fashion Line Baffles Facial Recognition Software](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/italian-fashion-line-fascial-recognition.md>)
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- [Microsoft President Calls For Government Rules For Facial Recognition Technology](<https://futurism.com/microsoft-facial-recognition-regulation.md>)
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