Its active camera technology undermines privacy

Although Qualcomm strives to improve the user experience, the always-on camera technology raises some privacy concerns. In fact, the latter allows you to lock or unlock the phone without touching it.

Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 expected to be available in early 2022 smart phones Equipped with this processor it will take advantage of the always-on camera, which will allow its users to unlock it in a jiffy. For some, this feature can be very interesting while for others it may compromise data security.

Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 always keeps the camera

a The camera is always on It offers a very basic benefit. Qualcomm has indicated that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 will allow the user to unlock their smartphone just by looking at it. It is not necessary to resort to:

• Fingerprint sensor
• A complex set of face detection algorithms
• Or even a voice command.

When the user looks away, the smartphone is locked. This last element represents the security aspect that Qualcomm is focusing on. In fact, according to the company, this function Ensures data backup.

If the camera detects the face of the user or any other person, the phone will unlock. However, private information such as the content of notifications is not displayed.

An always-on camera threatens privacy

Qualcomm said that the data collected by the phone’s front camera will be processed on the device itself. None of this information will be sent to the cloud for use. In fact, compared to the FaceID system used in a file Iphone, this feature depends on image signal processor. The latter remains active at all times and is hidden in the front camera. In fact, this always-on front camera poses the risks of security breaches and social engineering hacks.

Malicious third parties can access the phone at any time. For example, they can home surveillance cameras To transmit video streams to remote servers.

Always-on cameras can be compared to microphones in smartphones and other always-listening voice assistants. However, these devices only work if they detect certain keywords, also known as “alert words”.