A patent filed for and granted to HP would enable people to automatically blur their faces in digital photographs. By means of a remote control or other transmitter, people could send a signal to digital cameras in the area that they wish to remain anonymous. Digital cameras with the sensors would then only get a blurred shot of the head and face. According to the patent application, HP is positioning the technology as a way to walk the line between the proliferation of cameras and other devices (i.e., cell phones) with camera built in and privacy concerns.

"Increasing usage of portable camera devices means that the privacy issue of capturing images of subjects who would prefer not to be photographed has increased," according to the application. "Because portable cameras are small and are likely to be unseen by a subject, persons generally cannot choose to avoid being in the field of view of a small portable camera and are likely to have their pictures taken without their knowledge or consent."

Cameras would be equipped with facial recognition software sophisticated enough to single out faces for the blur treatment.

One could easily see celebrities bedeviled by paparazzi snapping up devices left and right, should they ever become available. Sales of the National Enquirer would plummet as no one would want to look at candid pictures of bikini-clad starlets with their faces blurred out. On second thought, the paparazzi would probably just stick with film. The technology could also lead to the easing of some of the more draconian bans on camera-equipped cell phones. Of course, there's a flip side as well, as wrongdoers could take advantage of the devices to ensure their anonymity.

For now, HP is merely keeping the patent as part of their IP portfolio, and has no plans to actually make products with the technology. Even if it was brought to market, camera manufacturers would have to adapt their cameras to be able to receive facial-blur signals. And unless there was a government mandate that cameras had to respect the blur signal (similar to the broadcast flag requirement), there would be nothing forcing camera makers to incorporate the tech.