Security Experts Warn of Fingerprint Theft Risk from 'V' Sign Photos

Beijing. The 'V' sign, shown by extending the index and middle fingers, used as a symbol of victory or peace, has become part of international pop culture. 

However, with the development of high-quality cameras and advanced AI technology, security experts have warned that this popular gesture increases the risk of people's fingerprints being stolen. They say that criminals can break biometric security systems using fingerprints stolen from photos.

Chinese security expert Li Xiang recently used a celebrity's selfie as an example in a reality show, demonstrating how clearly the fingers are visible when showing the 'V' sign and how it puts personal biometric information at risk.

According to Xiang's analysis, if it is a close-up shot taken from less than 1.5 meters away with the fingers clearly visible, there is a high probability that a person's fingerprint can be completely extracted. Even more surprisingly, half of the fingerprint can be extracted from a photo taken from a distance of 3 meters, where AI software completes the remaining work.

During the television program, Xiang surprised the audience by extracting highly detailed and clear fingerprints from low-quality blurry photos using photo editing software and AI technology. Jing Jiu, a cryptography professor at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, confirmed this, saying, 'With the increasing use of high-definition cameras, it has become technically possible to reconstruct detailed hand information and fingerprints using the V-pose.'

After Li Xiang's test went viral on social media, fear has spread regarding the security issue. However, some experts have clarified that it is not that easy to steal someone's fingerprint and gain access to biometric security.

They argue that many factors play a role in the fingerprint recovery process, such as lighting conditions, camera focus, and photo clarity. Identity thieves may need multiple photos of the same person to compare fingerprints.

If you are concerned about your biometric security but cannot give up showing the 'V' sign in selfies, expert Li Xiang has suggested a solution. He advises using digital editing tools to blur the fingertips or smooth the fingerprint lines before posting photos on social media.

Doing so can reduce the possibility of fingerprint theft using technology.