Overview
- Chinese security expert Li Chang showed on a reality show that she could pull usable fingerprints from a celebrity’s peace‑sign selfie using AI tools.
- She said clear, front‑facing, well‑lit shots taken at about 1.5 meters can yield full prints, and photos up to 3 meters can reveal partial detail.
- Specialists caution that mass theft is unlikely for now because most social platforms compress images and good lighting, focus, and angle are often missing.
- Practical steps include blurring or smoothing fingertips before posting and avoiding uploads of high‑resolution hand photos to AI chatbots or other services.
- Past examples show the method is possible, including a 2014 Chaos Computer Club copy of Ursula von der Leyen’s fingerprint and a reported Hangzhou smart‑lock attempt.