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Apple Reference Image: A New Approach for Verified Photography

539 points · 352 comments · imwally

  1. tristanj · · focus · HN ↗
    Apple doesn't address the modified photo replay situation, where you take a picture of an already edited image.

    Photoshop / AI-gen an image -> display on a high-resolution monitor -> photograph the monitor with iPhone 18 Pro -> valid Apple Reference image.

    To get valid reference photos, you can go to the actual physical location, put the iPhone/monitor in a cardboard box to block external light, then photograph the monitor. Paint the inside of the box using Vantablack (stopping reflections) and cover the LiDAR projector with tape.

    I can't wait to see Apple Verified™ photos of UFOs flying over the Golden Gate Bridge.

    1. pveierland · · focus · HN ↗
      Claim 7 in this patent application describes how depth sensors are used as part of an image authentication process, which would make such a workaround more difficult:

      <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;image-ppubs.uspto.gov&#x2F;dirsearch-public&#x2F;print&#x2F;downloadPdf&#x2F;20260268025" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;image-ppubs.uspto.gov&#x2F;dirsearch-public&#x2F;print&#x2F;downloa...

      The Apple Reference Image feature is here launched on iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max that both have built-in LiDAR sensors that could be used for this process.

      1. BugsJustFindMe · · focus · HN ↗
        iPhone lidar only works up to like 16 feet in the easiest lighting conditions (indoors) and may be functionally ineffective outdoors.
        1. pveierland · · focus · HN ↗
          Still, that means that either the fake target scene and your screen presenting it would need to be outside of LiDAR sensor bounds, or you&#x27;d need to find a way to make the depth sensor data conform with your fake scene, both increasing the difficulty of producing a forgery.
          1. moffkalast · · focus · HN ↗
            A sufficiently light absorbing material is indistinguishable from infinity to a lidar. Or simply add a mirror that redirects it sideways, those can&#x27;t be detected either.
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