PICO: Privacy through Invertible Cryptographic Obscuration

Abstract

Signifiicant research progress has been made in intelligent imaging systems, surveillance and biometrics improving robustness, increasing performance and decreasing cost. As a result, deployment of surveillance and intelligent video systems is booming and increasing the impact of these on privacy. For many, networked intelligent video systems, especially video surveillance and biometrics, epitomize the invasion of privacy by an Orwellian "big brother:. While tens of millions in government funding have been spent on research improving video surveillance, virtually none has been invested in technologies to enhance privacy or effectively balance privacy and security. This paper presents an example that demonstrates how using and adapting cryptographic ideas and combining them with intelligent video processing, technological pproaches can provide for solutions addressing these critical trade-offs, potentially improving both security and privacy. After reviewing previous research in privacy improving technology in video systems, the paper then presents cryptographically invertible obscuration. This is an application of encryption techniques to improve the privacy aspects while allowing general surveillance to continue and allowing full access (i.e. violation ofprivacy) only with use of a decryption key, maintained by a court or other thirdparty.