Zenni Optical unveils ID Guard: Infrared-blocking lens coating for eyeglasses to disrupt unwanted facial scans

Eyeglass maker Zenni Optical has introduced ID Guard - a pink-hued coating for eyeglass lenses to help prevent unwanted facial scans that threaten personal security by blocking near-infrared light. The coating can be selected for their Clear, Blokz, and EyeQLenz lenses, with additional lens options coming soon. The price for the ID Guard coating on basic 1.50 index lenses is currently $14.95.

Security for some Apple iPhones can be set to use Face ID, which uses infrared light to project numerous dots onto the face of the person attempting to unlock a device. A camera sees the projection and unlocks the iPhone when the mapping matches what has been previously registered with the device.

Nefarious criminals around the world can exploit this by cloning a person’s face when the individual unknowingly looks at a hidden IR projector and camera. Bkav has demonstrated the ability to 3D print masks from scanned faces that bypass the Face ID lock on the tested iPhones. Although Apple has added liveliness detection to unlock phones only when natural movement has been seen, creative researchers have demonstrated they can also bypass that.

Zenni Optical helps address the potential threat of face cloning by blocking infrared light from reaching part of the face behind the ID Guard lenses. The coating blocks infrared light from 700 nm to 1050 nm, which is greater than the 700 nm to 900 nm range that Apple Face ID uses. According to the company, this helps prevents hackers from cloning target faces, but wearers must remember to remove their eyeglasses each time they want to unlock their devices.

Readers who worry about personal security should know that the MEMS microphones in smartphones can emit radio frequency waves that allow hackers using radio equipment to monitor conversations remotely, which can be blocked using Faraday bags (like this one on Amazon).