Picture Perfect: Why TikTok's latest 'Bold Glamour' beauty filter has been branded toxic

From Snapchat’s OG dog ears filter to beauty filters like Facetune, social media filters are quite popular in the digital world. The latest TikTok’s Bold Glamour filter is a combo of both – beauty and technology as it completely transforms the face of the user. It is subtle in how smoothly and convincingly it operates. The filter has already been used in over nine million videos, making it undeniably viral. Despite its popularity, the filter is proving to be a target for criticism on numerous levels. Also read: ‘De-influencing’ is all over TikTok: What does it mean? TikTok’s Bold Glamour filter The Bold Glamour filter on TikTok replicates a variety of qualities that are typically considered attractive, including a narrower nose, a more defined jawline, plump lips, and makeup effects including smooth skin, full brows with an arch, smoky eyes, and more, according to Cosmopolitan. Unlike many earlier versions of beauty filters, this beauty filter merges seamlessly into the user’s face in a much more realistic way. When the camera recognises masculine traits, it appears to be able to modify and remove cosmetics from the filter.

The backlash The Bold Glamour filter has drawn the most criticism for its impact on users’ self-esteem and self-image. Professionals are now describing the filter as “profoundly disturbing,” saying that it might negatively affect people’s lives, according to Dailymail. Lucy Thorpe, head of policy at the Mental Health Foundation, while speaking to The Times said, ‘Young people, in particular, are under enormous pressure to look a certain way. The solution definitely doesn’t lie in encouraging them to change their image. We need to create a culture that values people for who they are and not how they look.” Moreover, lawmakers have voiced their opinions on the matter. Dr Luke Evans shared a video on the site in which he stated, “We need to talk about this filter.” He told The Times, “I’ve seen clips of people applying it [the filter] and saying it sets an unrealistic standard they can’t meet and that it can’t be good for anyone’s mental state… it’s hard to argue against this.” Many have been alarmed by the abnormally flawless appearances because they are perplexed by how realistic it looks. Dailymail reported that London-based Samantha Hoy tried the filter and said that she was extremely concerned with the results. She said, “I do not look like this and normally when you put your hand over your face, it comes off. This is not me. How toxic is this filter? And what is it teaching young kids of today?” Additionally, Abbie Chatfield, an Australian reality TV personality, criticised the new trend as being “toxic” and “destructive,” among other things. According to the report, the former Bachelor contestant advised against the filter by saying, “If I wasn’t a full-grown adult, this would rot my brain to be honest.” In the caption, she added, “Like it’s funny but also this is so toxic.” A section of her fans did not recognise her with the filter on and they said they preferred how she looked without it. Also read: Influencers turn to TikTok to teach about forgotten Black history Threat to mental health According to research, young girls are particularly susceptible to the harmful impacts of filters and photo manipulation. According to a Dove’s Self-Esteem research project, 85 per cent of girls were using retouching apps and image ‘filters’ by the age of 13. The study shows more than half of girls say they can’t live up to the beauty standards projected on social media, and one in two girls say toxic beauty content on social media causes low self-esteem—this filter illustrates why young people feel this way. Because of this pressure to match beauty standards, people often desire to undergo facial cosmetic surgeries. The use of “face-altering software on social media has a significant association with the subsequent desire to undergo facial cosmetic procedures,” according to a 2021 study published in the American Journal of Cosmetic Surgery. The American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery recently reported that an increasing number of people under 30 are seeking cosmetic surgery or injectables. Speculated AI theory Users and researchers are speculating that AI has been driving the process of creating such realistic effects. According to The Washington Post, experts claim the filter “reads people’s skin tones, perceived gender, and hair colour and then calculates how much makeup, lip fillers, and skin tightening to apply for a specific SoCal influencer look.” Laura Gouillon, a social media filter creator, told The Washington Post, “It looks like the filter used Kylie Jenner’s face as a model for a machine learning algorithm, and then blended her face onto mine.” “This filter is probably using machine learning technology to blend these features onto your face,” she said. The Verge speculates that AI is involved in the technology that enables Bold Glamour’s seamless filtering. The outlet consulted Luke Hurd, an augmented reality expert who has worked on Snapchat and Instagram filters, to learn about the functions of the new filter.

Hurd claims that the filter appears to be making use of Generative Adversarial Networks, or GANs, a type of machine learning technology. According to him, GANs work by “pit(ting) two competing neural networks against each other in a fist-fight to the death.” He explained both the accurate image of your face being caught by your phone’s camera and the bold or glamorous rendition of your face that TikTok has been trained to create are competing neural networks in this situation. The Bold Glamour look is created using a sizable collection of photos, which are matched against your actual features in a battle to the death until the filter finds a method to blend the two original neural networks (your real face and the filter’s ideal you) into one output. Hurd added that there are other filters as well such as TikTok’s “teenage look” and Snapchat’s gender-swapping effects, however, the Bold Glamour filter stands out because it is less exaggerated. Alexa Youssefian, a spokesperson for TikTok, declined to comment on the filter’s technology. With inputs from agencies Read all the  Latest News,  Trending News,  Cricket News,  Bollywood News, India News and  Entertainment News here. Follow us on  Facebook,  Twitter and  Instagram.