Summary of "How Governments Spy On Protestors—And How To Avoid It | Incognito Mode | WIRED"

How Governments Spy On Protestors—And How To Avoid It

The WIRED video How Governments Spy On Protestors—And How To Avoid It from the Incognito Mode series explores the extensive and multifaceted surveillance technologies used by law enforcement and governments to monitor protesters. It highlights the risks these technologies pose to personal privacy and offers practical advice on how individuals can protect themselves.

Surveillance Technologies at Protests

Law enforcement agencies employ a variety of tools to identify and track protesters both during and outside of protests:

Facial Recognition Technology: Apps like Clearview AI can identify individuals from any photo available online, even if they have no prior police record.
- At least 78 countries use facial recognition with little transparency or regulation.
- For example, Russia uses this technology to preemptively arrest protest opponents.
- Masks and other deterrents provide limited protection, as some technologies can bypass them.

Social Media and Data Mining

Police monitor social media to identify activists, organizers, and participants:

Tools such as Data Miner aggregate vast amounts of social media data, enabling authorities to track individuals or groups based on posts, locations, and keywords.
Making accounts private or deleting posts offers limited protection; minimizing the posting of sensitive information is safer.

Other Surveillance Methods

Several additional surveillance techniques are used to monitor protests:

Cell Site Simulators (Stingrays/MC Catchers): Devices that mimic cell towers to capture phone location data and sometimes unencrypted communications. Their use is secretive and costly.
Geofence Warrants: Authorities request location data from tech companies for all devices in a specific area and time, collecting bulk, indiscriminate data.
Data Brokers: Companies that collect and sell personal data—from browsing history to public records—which police can purchase to build detailed profiles.
License Plate Readers (ALPRs): Cameras, either fixed or mobile, scan license plates to track vehicle movements and may capture other visible information such as political signs.
Drones: Police use drones equipped with cameras, thermal imaging, and cell phone tracking to surveil protests from above, sometimes flying at altitudes that make them nearly invisible.
Emerging Biometrics: New technologies include gait recognition (identifying people by their walk) and emotional detection (AI analyzing facial expressions to infer emotions or intent), raising privacy and accuracy concerns.

Privacy Risks and Concerns

Surveillance technologies generate large datasets that can be used unpredictably.
AI-driven systems often have biases and inaccuracies, potentially leading to wrongful targeting.
The pervasive nature of data collection makes avoiding surveillance difficult, especially given the lack of strong regulatory frameworks in many countries.

Recommendations for Protesters

To reduce the risk of surveillance and protect privacy, protesters are advised to:

Leave phones at home if possible; if not, use Faraday bags to block signals.
Disable biometric unlocks on phones to prevent forced access.
Limit social media posts, especially real-time updates, and use encrypted messaging apps like Signal.
Wear masks to obscure facial identification.
Be aware of personal vulnerabilities such as immigration status or minority identity that may increase risk.
Avoid recording or sharing images/videos at protests to minimize data capture.