Dahua Offers Race Recognition - "Black", "White", "Yellow"
By IPVM Team, Published Feb 09, 2021, 11:00am ESTDahua offers race recognition, verified by Dahua's own software client, SDK, technical documentation, and public bids, IPVM has found.
Dahua says they can recognize, in their words, "white" vs "yellow" vs "black". The company touted a "skin color" detecting AI camera in China and now its latest end user software includes "race" recognition.
This directly contradicts Dahua telling media that it "does not sell products that feature [an] ethnicity-focused recognition function".
IPVM collaborated with the LA Times on this report, see: LA Times Race detection and ‘real-time Uighur warnings’ — inside Dahua’s facial recognition technology.
SmartPSS Includes "Race"
Dahua's latest client/end user facing software, SmartPSS, includes "race" as a "face recognition" category:
The software connects to Dahua devices offering race recognition.
Dahua SDK - Black, White, Yellow
Dahua's own SDK, from its 'downloads' webpage, includes three 'races': "black", "white", and "yellow":
This was the same code that went viral on Twitter for including code specifically targeting Uyghurs, leading Dahua to delete the SDK and claim to The South China Morning Post that it "does not sell products that feature [an] ethnicity-focused recognition function".
Dahua Camera Includes "Skin Color"
Dahua touted "skin color" recognition on its own China product page for the DH-SD-8A1240WC-HNF, which Dahua says supports "Ethnic Skin Color" (人种肤色) recognition:
Notably, Dahua's crosstown rival Hikvision touted an Uyghur-detecting AI camera in 2019, IPVM revealed.
Bid Mentions Dahua Race Rec
A bid request from China's Central South University in Hunan Province for a different Dahua camera mentioned the same term, "Ethnic Skin Color" 人种肤色, in the specs:
IPVM could not find more publicly available details about this specific Dahua camera model (DH-SDT-5X409-4F-06ZH-WA).
Drops Dahua Over "Race" Analytics
Daniel Lewkovitz, CEO of Sydney security provider Calamity Monitoring, who first notified IPVM about SmartPSS offering the "race" category, said he was dropping Dahua in response:
"We have now moved away from Dahua because of this and other security providers now have an ethical decision, not simply one of price. This decision may hurt us commercially in the short term but our values are everything and I will not support this type of behaviour."
Risk Of Race Rec Spreading
Race analytics usage is almost unheard among video surveillance integrators outside China (although some Western face recognition firms, like Facewatch, do provide it.) As these controversial analytics become integrated into Dahua's global (non-PRC) solutions, this raises the risk of race detection software spreading worldwide.
Risk For Dahua
This also presents a long-term risk for Dahua as race analytics are much more controversial outside China and more firms may drop Dahua for ethical reasons. Then again, Dahua is a company that boasts of human rights sanctions showcasing its "strong technological capability".
No Response from Dahua
IPVM contacted Dahua more than a day and a half prior to publishing, detailing the evidence discovered, but Dahua did not respond.
3 reports cite this report:
Comments (51)
Undeniable proof.
Unfortunately, without a large public outcry, most integrators using Dahua now will ignore this and continue to use them.
Geez.... it's almost too crazy to think this is real.
Congratulations to Daniel of Calamity for showing some leadership in this.
Now we just need more to follow his lead & hit this scumbag company where it really hurts - in the hip pocket.
No, the SDK only had three 'races': Black, Yellow, White.
If we find more 'races' Dahua detects, we will update this piece.
The best function would be a Jew detection. But this will be difficult since they are east europeen in fact ;-)
Tobias, why would the best function be a 'Jew detection'?
Because money roules the world. That causes the globalisation and the race problems with it.
money roules the world
What does that have to do with Jewish people?
They have the money witch roules the world.
Presumably, it's some particular number of Jews or Christians or Muslims or Whites or Asians, etc.? Why would we want to detect the group members generically rather than specific individuals who have committed a wrongdoing?
Because they hold together and profit. They do nothing against Rothschild and Rockefeller foundation. If you name the problem of the Highfinance, they would call you anti-semitic and bring you to the police.
And to stop only the top 5 Zionists will not stop what is going on.
If you name the problem of the Highfinance, they would call you anti-semitic and bring you to the police.
The thing about being a garden variety antisemite, is that people are likely to call you one.
Delete your account.
Freedom of speech is strong in USA and important for the democracy.
Too bad freedom of speech is not actually strong, or actually important to many in the USA. Those terms, ideas and components of 'rights' are cherry picked by U.S. and other media/groups around the globe depending on the particular narrative that is being propagated by these various groups. It is OK for one group to say something but if another, opposing group says the same(or opposite) thing, relating it to a different point of view, it is deemed to be unacceptable. I believe that may also be referred to as hypocrisy. The US is not truly a free country; in part for this reason. Free speech FOR ALL, IS important for Democracy or a Democratic Republic, but in practice, in today's world, less realistic. Many wish it actually was stronger. But I digress....
Freedom of speech means that the government ("Congress") cannot enact laws to limit your speech. It does not mean that private entities need to allow you to say anything you want. Nor does it mean that you can't or shouldn't be held responsible for whatever reaction your speech provokes. Deeming something unacceptable is not outlawing it.
Strong? No, it's never been worse.
Unfortunately, some don't know how to use what is left wisely.
they would call you anti-semitic
Not just them...
But what you are describing is a lot like what China is describing with Uyghurs. There's some undefined number of Uyghurs that they claim are terrorists. I don't see, as a matter of ethics or practicality, why we should track down every Jew, Uyghur, Italian, Mexican, Swede, what have you, versus focusing on specific people that have committed specific acts.
John,
How about doing the ONE AND ONLY correct thing now by canceling this neo-nazi's membership and blocking all further posts from him???
You want to rail about Dahua racism and yet you will have a "chat" with someone as blatant as this on your forum?
DO THE RIGHT THING.
I did not have a 'chat'. I asked a series of questions that exposed flaws in his rationale. I believe in convincing people of what is right, not screaming at them. It is the same approach I take with the human rights abuses that Dahua and Hikvision engage in.
Read the link I posted. You are engaging with a well established neo-nazi and welcoming him to spew his ignorant hatred on what used to be a business-related forum. You think YOU are going to turn this guy??
Wake up and do the right thing. No screaming here, just common sense and decency.
I think I am going to show people reading this how groundless his claims are.
His comments are embarassing and do more to reveal how foolish he is than anything else.
Wrong. Dead wrong. It shows that IPVM is a welcoming forum for neo nazis.
We don't delete comments from people supporting China's human rights abuses. That does not mean we are 'welcoming' China human rights abuses, it means we are confident that a straightforward discussion with evidence and logic is better than barring such people.
Ok, John, please give me an example of someone here openly "supporting China's human rights abuses". Just one person that clearly supports human rights abuse. Who are you trying to kid??
Yet here you throw out the welcome mat for the single most hate based organization in human history. IPVM welcomes Neo-nazis to its forums.
Wake up.
For one, there's 'Nicky Tan' who pretty much every week defends China's human rights abuses and attacks IPVM on LinkedIn (which we could easily delete but we don't). For example on this Dahua race/Uyghur offering, he posted:
I don't believe in deleting people with contrary opinions, even if I think they are unethical and stupid.
Cancel the nazi's account, or I cancel mine. You lose money either way, just deal with it and do the right thing.
Cancel the nazi's account, or I cancel mine. You lose money either way, just deal with it and do the right thing.
...
I see a market for moron detection. Your writing would definitely populate the training dataset.
How odd that you are from Germany Tobias. Where have I heard of Germans being bigoted towards Jew's before? Let me think.......
It is good that this got out, unfortunate that this is happening. However, it has been well-known for long that Dahua and Hikvision supply the methods PRC uses to monitor its people - if the PRC wants the technology the companies will deliver. It's business. What other stuff haven't we found yet? Only time will tell.
Im' wondering when the 'Gender' and 'Age' options will become a 'problem'...Should they not already be a 'problem' if 'ethnicity' is a 'problem'. Then maybe, I wonder if having 'color' imagery available is also a 'problem'. Maybe simple low-resolution B&W imagery is the way to go. That way the playing field will be entirely level. Im also wondering if there are other currently acceptable analytics that may offend that should also be removed. Hmmm..lets see.....
JOHN HANOVICH... TAKE ACTION IMMEDIATELY.
