Filters of Identity}: AR Beauty and the Algorithmic Politics of the Digital Body

Authors: Doh, M. , Canali, C., Oliver, N.

Publication: CHI'25: International Conference on Human-computer Interaction. Workshop on Body Politics: Unpacking Tensions and Future Perspectives for Body-Centric Design Research in HCI, 2025
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This position paper situates AR beauty filters within the broader debate on Body Politics in HCI. We argue that these filters are not neutral tools but technologies of governance that reinforce racialized, gendered, and ableist beauty standards. Through naming conventions, algorithmic bias, and platform governance, they impose aesthetic norms while concealing their influence. To address these challenges, we advocate for transparency-driven interventions and a critical rethinking of algorithmic aesthetics and digital embodiment.