Smartphone manufacturer OnePlus has announced they will be sending out a software update to temporarily disable the Color Filter function on their 8 Pro phone after users complained it allowed them to see through some clothing.
The phone's Color Filter camera has a special function that uses the 5-megapixel infrared camera to render photos, creating interesting creative effects and allowing the user to sometimes see through things like the plastic casing around electronics. The problem is that a lot of clothing is relatively transparent to infrared light as well, as you can see below.
https://twitter.com/KimbulaBunis/status/1261016218883981314
Obviously, this has led to some serious privacy concerns from users, which in turn caused the company to temporarily disable the feature until a solution to the privacy concerns can be found. This will be done by pushing a software update to users within the coming week. It is not clear how the company plans to re-enable the camera's usage while eliminating the privacy concerns, but for the time being, users will not have access to the images shot by that specific camera, though the phone's others cameras will continue to function normally.
I may have just crushed a pearl!
I would be disappointed if I had a camera with this feature, and then it was disabled. Not just disappointed, but probably rather angry, as well. I want to be the one deciding if and when I use certain features ...... I certainly don't want anyone else making those decisions for me.
I don't want you deciding if you want to look through children's clothes, or young women's clothes. Yuck.
Does anyone remember the Sony Handicam with 0LUX night vision, and the attention that brought? Exactly the same outcome, nerf the product because people suddenly realize that you can see through it with IR. Guess what, security cameras can see IR too!
I was just remembering that as reading the article and about to make a comment regarding it. I also question the concept of "See Through"as I remember the X-Ray Specs in the back of comic books that didn't live up to "as advertised".
Every DSLR can potentially see near IR with the filter modification... not to mention there's plenty of other cameras out there with the same capability.
The TSA might be interested in that feature.
If the capabilities are there in the hardware, is there anything stopping a third-party app maker from accessing the camera for those purposes even after the update?
Shades of Sony NightShot LOL!
It will only temporarily disable handsets in China using HydrogenOS but not for other markets with the OxygenOS. They will do try to "fix" it, they said.
OnePlus also stated IT IS NOT X-RAY. The media has been using click bait titles creating panic about the said feature.
Here's the source
https://forums.oneplus.com/threads/update-on-color-filter-camera.1228622/