Google may ban digital makeup on Android

Recently, the resource XDA Developers published information about possible changes in the camera API for Android 11. According to the new Google rules, the camera cannot use algorithms to change skin color or face geometry. Also, the skin smoothing filter is excluded when shooting with the built-in camera in a mobile device

Mishal Rahman, editor-in-chief of XDA Developers, was the first to notice C-0-12 in the updated documentation. According to the new rules, the company prohibits mobile device manufacturers from using algorithms for adjusting and changing faces when processing photos. To date, this section has been removed from the documentation, but Rahman took a screenshot of the documentation and posted it to his Twitter account.

The new rules primarily concern manufacturers who are introducing “cosmetic filters” into their camera applications. There are already known cases when, even after turning off such filters, the device continued to apply face change algorithms.

If we take into account the wording of the documentation, then third-party cameras with “beauty” filters will not undergo changes, since the innovations relate exclusively to the applications of the device manufacturers themselves. However, to date, there is no official confirmation of this information.

XDA Developers believes that if you follow the logic of Google, then in the future the company may prohibit other modes to improve the quality of photos: night mode, digital zoom, and so on. At the same time, the editor-in-chief of the resource suspects that “digital make-up” may be banned at the request of the American special services, which have had difficulties with the formation of databases of user photos.