Facial recognition technology can supposedly detect wanted criminals and track people through crowds. But apparently, it draws the line at a full face of bold makeup.
A woman flying out of Shanghai Airport was stopped at immigration after facial recognition scanners failed to recognize her through what officials described as “too much” makeup. A short clip that recently went viral on Chinese social media shows her using wet wipes to scrub her face clean, while someone—presumably an airport employee—films and lectures her.
“Wipe everything off until you look like your passport photo,” the voice behind the camera says. “Why would you do your makeup like that? You are asking for trouble.”
Woman Forced to Take Off Makeup After Failing Airport Facial Recognition Scans
The incident happened back in September, but the footage is only now making the rounds—and racking up millions of views and some truly brutal commentary. “It’s not like she was able to walk around with a filter on in real life, right?” one person commented. Another defended her, saying, “She was already wiping her makeup off and embarrassed enough. There was no need for you to keep going on like some naggy boomer.”
It’s unclear if the woman ever made it through the checkpoint, but viewers pieced together enough from the clip to know she had gone full-glam. One friend traveling with her called the look “bridal-level,” which, to be fair, is a bold choice for airport security.
Still, the bigger question isn’t “why the blush?” It’s “why did the scanner panic?” The tech is supposed to identify faces with or without accessories, aging, or minor cosmetic changes. But when a little eyeliner throws the whole system into a fit, people start wondering what else it can’t handle.
“No matter how thick the makeup is, the face shouldn’t be unrecognizable, right?” one user asked. “Isn’t it time to upgrade the equipment?”
Biometric failures like this aren’t entirely new, but they’re not exactly comforting either. While you probably won’t be stopped for lip gloss anytime soon, this story is a good reminder that the machines meant to verify your identity are still figuring it out—and they’re not known for subtlety.
Until then, maybe keep a few makeup wipes handy. Just in case your winged liner is too powerful for the algorithm.
The post Woman Forced to Remove Makeup After Airport Scanner Fails to Recognize Her appeared first on VICE.
