Smartphone Cameras Perpetuate Racism? New Report Exposes Bias in Capturing Dark Skin Tones

Apparently, your smartphone could be racist, a report tells us. In an eye-opening revelation, Firstpost reveals that smartphone imaging solutions, including photography and videography, have been primarily designed to capture the beauty of white or fair-skinned people.

This bias is not limited to any specific country; it is prevalent across smartphone manufacturers worldwide, be it South Korea, the USA, India, or China.

The algorithms behind smartphone cameras, which play a crucial role in image processing, have perpetuated historical biases and underrepresented people with darker skin tones.

Failing to Capture the Right Skin Tone

It is no secret that almost all smartphone cameras struggle to accurately capture the skin tones of people with dark skin, even in optimal lighting conditions.

But why is this the case? According to NoFilmSchool, Kodak film was made expressly for light skin tones back in the day of the film. It served as the technology's chemical groundwork. However, a crucial population was overlooked: people with darker skin tones.

The situation worsens when lighting becomes tricky, often resulting in blown-up highlights or subjects appearing darker than they actually are.

Even major manufacturers like Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi, and OnePlus face these challenges, despite recent efforts to improve color accuracy.

The Washington Post compared the Google Pixel 7 Pro to the Apple 14 Pro Max and the Samsung Galaxy S22, among other recent smartphone models. They discovered that while each camera improved in showing a perceived accurate skin tone, it lost resolution in the process.

Oversaturating Colors

One of the reasons behind biased imaging solutions is the human preference for saturation and contrast over color accuracy when viewing photos on smartphone displays.

Samsung and certain Chinese smartphone makers, including Xiaomi and OnePlus, tend to over-saturate their images.

While flagship models offer some control over saturation levels, budget smartphones often go overboard, leading to unnatural skin tones such as a weird yellow or reddish hue.

Facial Recognition Failures

Facial recognition technology, touted as a secure authentication method, has its own set of biases.

Apple's FaceID, utilizing a TrueDepth camera, excels at recognizing faces across various skin tones and lighting conditions.

However, Apple faced accusations of racism when a Chinese boy unlocked his mother's iPhone X with his face in 2017, revealing a flaw in the facial recognition software.

The incident prompted a customer service report and an investigation by Apple following a similar case involving a Chinese woman.

Additionally, many other smartphone makers, particularly budget-friendly Chinese brands, rely on regular front-facing cameras, leading to inaccurate recognition.

People with dark skin or distinctive features like monolid eyes often face difficulties unlocking their devices, especially in low-light environments.

Beauty Filters Perpetuating Biases

Beauty filters, a popular feature in smartphones, are another aspect that showcases the disregard for people with dark skin or diverse facial features.

These filters not only erase certain facial characteristics but also excessively brighten skin tones, mirroring the harmful effect of outdated skin-whitening creams.

The psychological impact on individuals and communities cannot be underestimated, making it a significant concern.

Historical Biases

Tech companies and smartphone manufacturers cannot be accused of inherent racism but can be faulted for their ignorance.

Firstpost notes that the development of imaging technologies relies heavily on data sets influenced by white people, leading to biased algorithmic processing.

While progress has been made, the fact remains that companies need to address these biases more actively and consciously.

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