Consumerist - Apple Admits That Face ID May Be Fooled By Evil Twins & Little Kids

[tardman91]

Odd article about the iPhone X and it's security. Consumerist reported the following:
https://consumerist.com/2017/09/29/...e-id-may-be-fooled-by-evil-twins-little-kids/

When Apple introduced the iPhone X’s new “Face ID” feature — which scans a user’s face to unlock the phone — the company said it had considered the “Evil Twin” scenario. And now, it’s admitting that if you have a twin — or an alternate reality doppelgänger– he or she could totally break into your phone.

In its Face ID Security Guide [PDF], Apple notes that the probability of a random person successfully unlocking your phone is about 1 in 1,000,000 — compared to versus 1 in 50,000 for Touch ID.

However, the likelihood of a false match is different for twins, as well as siblings who may look like you.

And in case there are any kids out there running around with the $1,000 phones, you should be warned that False ID may provide false matches for children under the age of 13, “because their distinct facial features may not have fully developed,” Apple explains.

There are two solutions. First, don’t use Face ID and just lock your overpriced iPhone X with a passcode. Or… buy a different phone that doesn’t use such a problematic unlocking mechanism.

 

[Nozuka]

if you have a twin or you're a little kid then yes, maybe not the best for you...

but i'm sure plenty of twins will test this.

 

[pat500000]

Evil twins? You don't say.......

 

[tardman91]

The twin/doppelgänger part is of interest to me. I wonder how similar the two people need to look to fool FaceID? Even identical twins don't have the same fingerprints, yet TouchID is less reliable than FaceID. Just seems odd to me.

 

[noobinator]

What are the odds of my evil twin finding me for the sole purpose of stealing my iPhone X to try and get into it not knowing if I am even using FaceID?

 

[NT1440]

What are the odds of my evil twin finding me for the sole purpose of stealing my iPhone X to try and get into it not knowing if I am even using FaceID?

Depends, do you live in the plot of a Nick Cage or John Travolta movie?

 

[Downhilltenago]

Yeah that's a reason not to get it.... /s

 

[IGotOne]

If the "Evil Twin" is a child under 13 does the X burst into flames?

This reminds me of when TouchID was announced and people (literally, go back and look...) asked "what if someone cuts off my finger, or incapacitates me and uses it to unlock my phone without me being conscious???".

It's what I like to call the "James Bond" fallacy:

If you are so important that someone would actively try to break into your phone by exploiting security considered "good enough" for millions of people, you need to re-evaluate what security you use on your phone.

But don't worry. You're not that important. It'll be fine.

 

[willmtaylor]

Not too worried about it compared to Sammy’s phones which are fooled by a piece of paper.

Such non-news.

They’re sure glad to have the clicks & ad revenue though.

 

[ronincse]

OMG! I can't believe Apple never mentioned that twins could possible fool Face ID!!! Well other than telling us in the keynote of course

This will be REALLY bad for the 0.35% of the population that it affects and all those little kids who will be getting iPhone Xs

 

[MEJHarrison]

When my girlfriend's daughter first got her 6S, she setup the fingerprint reader. Then she handed it to me and asked me to unlock it. And I did on the first try. Keep in mind, there is no blood relationship between us. So the fact that a twin (which I don't have) might be able to unlock my phone isn't a giant concern to me. Nor do I see it as evidence that TouchID is better than FaceID.

 

[applewatch]

Why would a kid under 13 need a $999 phone?

 

[noobinator]

Why would a kid under 13 need a $999 phone?

No one needs a $999 phone, however some people (including teens) have money or access to money and will buy them.

 

[ACST]

Nothing really new evil twins and little kids are the achilles heel of every face id system on the market today apart from iris scanning (but that's not really face id).

 

[IGotOne]

Nothing really new evil twins and little kids are the achilles heel of every face id system on the market today apart from iris scanning (but that's not really face id).

Tell me about it. If I had a dollar for every time I wanted to secure my top secret data with my face structure alone, and then my freaking EVIL TWIN showed up, I'd have at leas...

Well the exact amount isn't important. The fact is, it's a terrible problem. Shame on Apple!

 

[digitalexplr]

Good grief! Paranoia seems to be epidemic! What in the world are people keeping on their phones??

I would suggest some folks need to get rid off their cell phones, unplug their computers, get off the grid, find a nice mountain lake and build a cabin!

Actually, that sounds like a pretty good plan!

 

[adrianlondon]

Preparing to steal phone.

 

[steve62388]

The twin/doppelgänger part is of interest to me. I wonder how similar the two people need to look to fool FaceID? Even identical twins don't have the same fingerprints, yet TouchID is less reliable than FaceID. Just seems odd to me.

Your comment made me think... The chances of having identical twins is much higher than one in a million, so either Apple's quoted security stats for FaceID are total crap or the system is so precise the small difference between most twins would still be spotted.

 

[Nozuka]

Your comment made me think... The chances of having identical twins is much higher than one in a million, so either Apple's quoted security stats for FaceID are total crap or the system is so precise the small difference between most twins would still be spotted.

actually they were pretty clear about the stats. they say the chance is one in a million... UNLESS you have an identical twin or you are a child and with similar looking siblings.

but they don't talk about the chances with twins at all. so it will be interesting to see the results of twins trying this out.

but let's be honest: one in a million does not sound like a number that came out of a real calculation... must have been heavily rounded for marketing

 

[OneMike]

Didn’t know Touch ID was 1 in 50000

 

[Jimmy James]

They announced at the keynote that it can be duped by twins.

 

[NovemberWhiskey]

https://imgur.com/U0F0vK4

 

[TMRJIJ]

My evil twin is a meme. Hope he doesn't live near me:



..or maybe I’m the evil one (grows goatee)