Man stunned as passport photo check sees lips as open mouth

A young black man hoping to renew his passport online was stunned when the automated photo checker mistook his lips for an open mouth.

The facial detection system informs people when it thinks the photo uploaded may not meet strict requirements, which include a plain expression and a closed mouth.

Joshua Bada, 28, from west London, used a high-quality photo booth image to apply for his passport.

He said: “I was a bit annoyed but it didn’t surprise me because it’s a problem I have faced on Snapchat with the filters, where it hasn’t quite recognised my mouth, obviously because of my complexion and just the way my features are.

“After I posted it online, friends started getting in contact, saying it’s funny but it shouldn’t be happening.”

• Read more

Young man 'disguised himself as 81-year-old to fly to New York'

When asked by the system if he wanted to submit the photo anyway, Mr Bada wrote in a comment box: “My mouth is closed, I just have big lips.”

Noel Sharkey, professor of artificial intelligence and robotics at the University of Sheffield, believes an unrepresentative sample of black people is one possible reason for the error.

The Home Office said: “We are determined to make the experience of uploading a digital photograph as simple as possible, and will continue working to improve this process for all of our customers.

"In the vast majority of cases where a photo does not pass our automated check, customers may override the outcome and submit the photo as part of their application.”

Read more

Read more Young man 'disguised himself as 81-year-old to fly to New York'