"University of Michigan Researchers Create Screen Protection System to Fend Off Shoulder Surfers"
Eye-Shield is an innovative screen protection system developed by researchers at the University of Michigan that obscures images and text on a user's phone and other devices when seen from a distance. According to the researchers, previous methods have been ineffective, inconvenient, or limited. Some involve applying a physical privacy film to the device, which cannot be turned off or easily removed, provides only limited protection, and in many cases, prevents screen protector usage. Other solutions have taken the form of apps focused on specific functions, such as obscuring numbers by overlaying low- and high-frequency images, and substituting text with difficult-to-read handwriting. Eye-Shield is designed to exist on a device as a free, built-in feature that the user can turn on and off as needed. The program takes advantage of the visual perception of contrast to blur text and images at a distance. This article continues to discuss the Eye-Shield solution that uses a pixelation scheme to obscure device screens when viewed from a distance, protecting against shoulder surfing attacks.