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Incident 32: Identical Twins Can Open Apple FaceID Protected Devices

Description: Apple's iPhone FaceID can be opened by an identical twin of the person who has registered their face to unlock the phone.

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Entities

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Alleged: Apple developed and deployed an AI system, which harmed People with Twins.

Incident Stats

Incident ID
32
Report Count
21
Incident Date
2017-09-13
Editors
Sean McGregor
Applied Taxonomies
CSETv0, CSETv1, GMF, MIT

CSETv1 Taxonomy Classifications

Taxonomy Details

Incident Number

The number of the incident in the AI Incident Database.
 

32

Special Interest Intangible Harm

An assessment of whether a special interest intangible harm occurred. This assessment does not consider the context of the intangible harm, if an AI was involved, or if there is characterizable class or subgroup of harmed entities. It is also not assessing if an intangible harm occurred. It is only asking if a special interest intangible harm occurred.
 

no

Notes (AI special interest intangible harm)

If for 5.5 you select unclear or leave it blank, please provide a brief description of why. You can also add notes if you want to provide justification for a level.
 

Although this incident doesn't involve harm unevenly distributed along a protected characteristic, it does only impact twins.

Date of Incident Year

The year in which the incident occurred. If there are multiple harms or occurrences of the incident, list the earliest. If a precise date is unavailable, but the available sources provide a basis for estimating the year, estimate. Otherwise, leave blank. Enter in the format of YYYY
 

2017

Date of Incident Month

The month in which the incident occurred. If there are multiple harms or occurrences of the incident, list the earliest. If a precise date is unavailable, but the available sources provide a basis for estimating the month, estimate. Otherwise, leave blank. Enter in the format of MM
 

09

Date of Incident Day

The day on which the incident occurred. If a precise date is unavailable, leave blank. Enter in the format of DD
 

13

CSETv0 Taxonomy Classifications

Taxonomy Details

Problem Nature

Indicates which, if any, of the following types of AI failure describe the incident: "Specification," i.e. the system's behavior did not align with the true intentions of its designer, operator, etc; "Robustness," i.e. the system operated unsafely because of features or changes in its environment, or in the inputs the system received; "Assurance," i.e. the system could not be adequately monitored or controlled during operation.
 

Robustness

Physical System

Where relevant, indicates whether the AI system(s) was embedded into or tightly associated with specific types of hardware.
 

Consumer device

Level of Autonomy

The degree to which the AI system(s) functions independently from human intervention. "High" means there is no human involved in the system action execution; "Medium" means the system generates a decision and a human oversees the resulting action; "low" means the system generates decision-support output and a human makes a decision and executes an action.
 

High

Nature of End User

"Expert" if users with special training or technical expertise were the ones meant to benefit from the AI system(s)’ operation; "Amateur" if the AI systems were primarily meant to benefit the general public or untrained users.
 

Amateur

Public Sector Deployment

"Yes" if the AI system(s) involved in the accident were being used by the public sector or for the administration of public goods (for example, public transportation). "No" if the system(s) were being used in the private sector or for commercial purposes (for example, a ride-sharing company), on the other.
 

No

Data Inputs

A brief description of the data that the AI system(s) used or were trained on.
 

facial contour

MIT Taxonomy Classifications

Machine-Classified
Taxonomy Details

Risk Subdomain

A further 23 subdomains create an accessible and understandable classification of hazards and harms associated with AI
 

2.2. AI system security vulnerabilities and attacks

Risk Domain

The Domain Taxonomy of AI Risks classifies risks into seven AI risk domains: (1) Discrimination & toxicity, (2) Privacy & security, (3) Misinformation, (4) Malicious actors & misuse, (5) Human-computer interaction, (6) Socioeconomic & environmental harms, and (7) AI system safety, failures & limitations.
 
  1. Privacy & Security

Entity

Which, if any, entity is presented as the main cause of the risk
 

AI

Timing

The stage in the AI lifecycle at which the risk is presented as occurring
 

Post-deployment

Intent

Whether the risk is presented as occurring as an expected or unexpected outcome from pursuing a goal
 

Unintentional

Incident Reports

Reports Timeline

+1
Apple iPhone X: Could a Twin Trick the Face ID?
+1
Apple: don't use Face ID on an iPhone X if you're under 13 or have a twin
+9
iPhone X Face ID: The reasons it may not work
+1
Apple's Face ID tech can't tell two Chinese women apart
Double trouble: Russian twins to sue Apple as iPhone X’s Face ID fails to tell them apart+1
Top 5 AI Failures From 2017 Which Prove That ‘Perfect AI’ Is Still A Dream
+1
Face ID on iPhone XS Fooled by Identical Twins
iPhone owners baffled by Apple's Face ID ‘not available’ error
Apple iPhone X: Could a Twin Trick the Face ID?

Apple iPhone X: Could a Twin Trick the Face ID?

time.com

Apple: don't use Face ID on an iPhone X if you're under 13 or have a twin

Apple: don't use Face ID on an iPhone X if you're under 13 or have a twin

theguardian.com

iPhone X's Face ID: How does it handle beards, makeup, wrinkles? Apple explains

iPhone X's Face ID: How does it handle beards, makeup, wrinkles? Apple explains

zdnet.com

iPhone X Face ID: The reasons it may not work

iPhone X Face ID: The reasons it may not work

uswitch.com

Early Face ID tests show varying results for twins using facial recognition to unlock iPhone X

Early Face ID tests show varying results for twins using facial recognition to unlock iPhone X

9to5mac.com

Is the iPhone X's facial recognition twin compatible?

Is the iPhone X's facial recognition twin compatible?

mashable.com

The iPhone X's Face ID can be fooled by identical twins

The iPhone X's Face ID can be fooled by identical twins

mashable.com

iPhone X Face ID 'Twin Tests' Emerge With Mixed Results

iPhone X Face ID 'Twin Tests' Emerge With Mixed Results

macrumors.com

We put the iPhone X's Face ID to the ultimate test with identical twins -- and the results surprised us

We put the iPhone X's Face ID to the ultimate test with identical twins -- and the results surprised us

businessinsider.com.au

The iPhone X’s archnemesis: identical twins

The iPhone X’s archnemesis: identical twins

thehustle.co

Does iPhone X Facial Recognition Work On Twins? Mashable Tested It Out And, Well, Whoops

Does iPhone X Facial Recognition Work On Twins? Mashable Tested It Out And, Well, Whoops

bustle.com

A man was able to use Face ID to unlock his brother’s new iPhone X

A man was able to use Face ID to unlock his brother’s new iPhone X

qz.com

Enough Already With The Stupid Face ID 'Twin Test'

Enough Already With The Stupid Face ID 'Twin Test'

forbes.com

Apple's Face ID tech can't tell two Chinese women apart

Apple's Face ID tech can't tell two Chinese women apart

theinquirer.net

Woman In China Says Colleague’s Face Was Able To Unlock Her iPhone X

Woman In China Says Colleague’s Face Was Able To Unlock Her iPhone X

huffingtonpost.co.uk

Double trouble: Russian twins to sue Apple as iPhone X’s Face ID fails to tell them apart

Double trouble: Russian twins to sue Apple as iPhone X’s Face ID fails to tell them apart

tass.com

Top 5 AI Failures From 2017 Which Prove That ‘Perfect AI’ Is Still A Dream

Top 5 AI Failures From 2017 Which Prove That ‘Perfect AI’ Is Still A Dream

analyticsindiamag.com

Distinguishing Identical Twins

Distinguishing Identical Twins

cacm.acm.org

Face ID on iPhone XS Fooled by Identical Twins

Face ID on iPhone XS Fooled by Identical Twins

iphonehacks.com

Face ID fails to recognize difference between twins

Face ID fails to recognize difference between twins

cultofmac.com

iPhone owners baffled by Apple's Face ID ‘not available’ error

iPhone owners baffled by Apple's Face ID ‘not available’ error

thesun.co.uk

Apple iPhone X: Could a Twin Trick the Face ID?
time.com · 2017

The iPhone X made its highly-anticipated debut Tuesday at Apple’s keynote event and one of its standout features is what the company calls Face ID. Gone is the fingerprint-required Touch ID, and in is a facial recognition software that allo…

Apple: don't use Face ID on an iPhone X if you're under 13 or have a twin
theguardian.com · 2017

The iPhone X might be the future of Apple’s smartphone design, but its lauded Face ID facial recognition system has an issue with people under 13: it’s much more difficult to tell them apart.

In a security guide published Wednesday, Apple r…

iPhone X's Face ID: How does it handle beards, makeup, wrinkles? Apple explains
zdnet.com · 2017

Image: Apple/CNET

Apple has already said the iPhone X's facial-recognition system, Face ID, could be a problem for people with an evil twin. They'll have to use a passcode to keep their data secure. Or get an iPhone 8 with Touch ID, since t…

iPhone X Face ID: The reasons it may not work
uswitch.com · 2017

Apple has released detailed information on how its new Face ID system works. The facial recognition tech, a cornerstone of the soon–to–be–released iPhone X, has been lauded for its security prowess.

However, having failed to work properly d…

Early Face ID tests show varying results for twins using facial recognition to unlock iPhone X
9to5mac.com · 2017

There’s been a flood of iPhone X reviews surfacing this week and we’re hearing (and seeing) more details about Face ID. While Apple has touted that Face ID is more secure than Touch ID, it also shared that this isn’t the case for twins and …

Is the iPhone X's facial recognition twin compatible?
mashable.com · 2017

We put Apple's 'Face ID' technology to the test with twins. Facebook, friends, and even relatives get these identical twins mixed up all the time. But what about the iPhone X's facial recognition software?

The iPhone X's Face ID can be fooled by identical twins
mashable.com · 2017

The iPhone X has a weakness for identical twins.

It can’t really tell the difference.

It's the first Apple device to include Face ID, a face-mapping technology that can be used unlock the phone, verify Apple Pay, and essentially replaces th…

iPhone X Face ID 'Twin Tests' Emerge With Mixed Results
macrumors.com · 2017

With both sets of twins, the other twin unlocked the iPhone X, even though neither one had registered his face with Face ID on the iPhone X. With the Franklin twins, we had both brothers remove their glasses and had the other brother regist…

We put the iPhone X's Face ID to the ultimate test with identical twins -- and the results surprised us
businessinsider.com.au · 2017

Business Insider got an exclusive look at the iPhone X, and, naturally, we tried to beat its facial-recognition feature by having one twin register his face and the other try to break in.

The following is a transcript of the video.

Greg: Gr…

The iPhone X’s archnemesis: identical twins
thehustle.co · 2017

When Apple announced its $1k iPhone X back in September, we learned they were ditching the home screen button log-in for something snazzier: facial recognition.

The company touted it as a more secure upgrade to its existing TouchID feature …

Does iPhone X Facial Recognition Work On Twins? Mashable Tested It Out And, Well, Whoops
bustle.com · 2017

Everyone's talking about the iPhone X, and for one reason in particular: its Face ID. This is Apple's attempt at conquering biometric security, and it could be either a huge success or a giant letdown. To see just how accurately the iPhone …

A man was able to use Face ID to unlock his brother’s new iPhone X
qz.com · 2017

The new $1,000 rectangle from Apple has a troubling security flaw.

In a video posted to Reddit on Friday (Nov. 3), two brothers demonstrate that they can both unlock one brother’s new iPhone X using its Face ID facial recognition security o…

Enough Already With The Stupid Face ID 'Twin Test'
forbes.com · 2017

The iPhone X is here, and with it Apple’s new biometric authentication—Face ID. All week I have seen videos attempting to demonstrate whether or not an identical twin can dupe Face ID and allow someone other than the actual iPhone owner to …

Apple's Face ID tech can't tell two Chinese women apart
theinquirer.net · 2017

A CHINESE WOMAN has been offered a refund on her iPhone X after she discovered that her colleague could unlock the device Face ID.

Apple has long claimed that the technology behind Face ID is the "most advanced" it has ever created and says…

Woman In China Says Colleague’s Face Was Able To Unlock Her iPhone X
huffingtonpost.co.uk · 2017

A worker in the Chinese city of Nanjing claims a colleague has bested the facial recognition technology on her new iPhone X — twice.

The woman, identified only by her surname Yan, told the Jiangsu Broadcasting Corp. that her co-worker was a…

Double trouble: Russian twins to sue Apple as iPhone X’s Face ID fails to tell them apart
tass.com · 2018

VLADIMIR, January 30. /TASS/. Twin brothers from the Russian city of Vladimir are demanding 20 mln rubles (over $357,000) in compensation from Apple because the Face ID feature of their new iPhone X smartphones cannot tell them apart, their…

Top 5 AI Failures From 2017 Which Prove That ‘Perfect AI’ Is Still A Dream
analyticsindiamag.com · 2018

We have in the past seen instances such as the failure of Microsoft bot Tay, when it developed a tendency to come up with racist remarks. Within 24 hours of its existence and interaction with people, it starting sending offensive comments, …

Distinguishing Identical Twins
cacm.acm.org · 2018

ACM News Distinguishing Identical Twins

The challenges of using facial recognition systems to identify identical twins are amplified by their similarity, although like parents, facial recognition systems are beginning to be able to tell the…

Face ID on iPhone XS Fooled by Identical Twins
iphonehacks.com · 2018

When Apple debuted Face ID with the iPhone X in 2017, it claimed it was even more secure than Touch ID. While this might be true, the biggest issues with Face ID are that it is slower than Touch ID and despite being more secure, it could be…

Face ID fails to recognize difference between twins
cultofmac.com · 2018

Apple’s foolproof Face ID system looks like it has met its match.

Even though Face ID is supposed to faster on the iPhone XS and XS Max, it appears that the security system can be completely fooled by identical twins. If you’ve got a siblin…

iPhone owners baffled by Apple's Face ID ‘not available’ error
thesun.co.uk · 2018

IPHONE users are complaining that Face ID has stopped working on their handsets, The Sun has learned.

The mysterious issue means that Apple's face unlock technology no longer recognises faces – forcing users to rely on passcodes instead.

Ap…

Variants

A "variant" is an incident that shares the same causative factors, produces similar harms, and involves the same intelligent systems as a known AI incident. Rather than index variants as entirely separate incidents, we list variations of incidents under the first similar incident submitted to the database. Unlike other submission types to the incident database, variants are not required to have reporting in evidence external to the Incident Database. Learn more from the research paper.

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