this post was submitted on 11 Feb 2026
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WiFi Could Become an Invisible Mass Surveillance System (scitechdaily.com)
submitted 2 months ago by CombatWombatEsq@lemmy.world to c/privacy@lemmy.world
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cross-posted from: https://lemmy.bestiver.se/post/920498

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[–] orioler25@lemmy.world 34 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Louis Rossman talked about this potential in consumer routers via ISP data collection a few months ago. I mean, there are feasible measures to disrupt the accuracy of this surveillance method in the same way there is for any. But, even if the new standard implements protections against use cases of human surveillance, there's no real way to prevent authoritarian states from applying the technology illegally or otherwise. Doesn't help that corporations with a vested interest in both data collection and compliance with authoritarian states also have tremendous influence on the kind of people who are in the IEEE.

I'm tellin ya, people have to bully STEM majors who cooperate like they should ICE agents who (enthusiastically) cooperate.

[–] unexposedhazard@discuss.tchncs.de 24 points 2 months ago (3 children)

Yeah we really need to socially shun people willing to work for these companies. If you tell me you work for flock or amazon or google or meta you will just get an "eww" from me.

[–] Telorand@reddthat.com 9 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I knew someone who voluntarily went to work for Facebook a few years ago. I don't talk to them anymore. Last I heard from a mutual is that they got laid off, and it couldn't have happened to a more deserving schmuck.

[–] unexposedhazard@discuss.tchncs.de 4 points 2 months ago

I have someone in my extended family that also does. They are a special kind of weird people. The ultimate bootlickers.

[–] orioler25@lemmy.world 6 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

Yeah I've had interactions like that as well. Another issue is a lot of this work is done through contracts with third-party developers too. I've met people who could say the name of the company they work for and you'd have to dig to find out they develop software for US military tank systems, so it is also easy for them to obscure their work if they understand people will challenge their participation in it.

[–] unexposedhazard@discuss.tchncs.de 3 points 2 months ago

I made the same mistake (of not realizing) a few years ago. But when i found out i quit as soon as i got some certification that got me started elsewhere.

[–] Truscape@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 2 months ago (5 children)

As someone who lives in Silicon Valley (and is currently pursuing an EE degree), you either work for those companies, the military-industrial complex, or a startup about to be acquired by the tech giants, otherwise you are left behind economically and are unable to own a home or live without debt acquisition.

I'm still in college, I really don't like the idea of working for these places, but it may not be much of a choice once I graduate. At least if I want to live where I grew up and make full use of my engineering degree.

[–] unexposedhazard@discuss.tchncs.de 6 points 2 months ago

Maybe the place you live is shit then?

[–] over_clox@lemmy.world 3 points 2 months ago

We don't need you. Hell, you don't even need yourself.

You're literally working towards a future where machines replace humans.

Thanks for your help fucking up the cause of humans being humans.

[–] orioler25@lemmy.world 3 points 2 months ago

Learned helplessness.

[–] AntiBullyRanger@ani.social 0 points 2 months ago

Then don't. Build a syndicate with college peers. Heck, found one as a Master’s program.

[–] moonshadow@slrpnk.net -2 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Hey, buddy? Fuck you and your economic goals. There is a very real choice here between being part of the problem and part of the solution. I can't make it for you, but would really like to disabuse you of the notion there's "not much of a choice". Build a comfortable life at the rest of the world's expense, sacrifice your opportunities for our collective wellbeing, self-immolate in protest, whatever you choose it's an impactful decision and you're the one making it. Good luck! Have fun! You matter, and selling the rest of us out is a dick move.

[–] otter@lemmy.dbzer0.com 21 points 2 months ago

Plot twist: it has been for decades already...

[–] over_clox@lemmy.world 13 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)
  • Its scary this technology even exists at all.
  • Its scarier to think they've been developing and testing this already.
  • What's even scarier, is realizing they probably already have recorded WiFi/XRay (whatever you wanna call it) porno videos as part of their tests...
[–] CombatWombatEsq@lemmy.world 8 points 2 months ago

I was told that when you see a technology become public, you should assume the US government has been using it for at least a decade, which is also scary.

[–] abbiistabbii@piefed.blahaj.zone 12 points 2 months ago (1 children)

You mean it's not? Like the reason why Supermarkets have free wifi is to basically track customers to see where they go in the shop.

[–] 4am@lemmy.zip 9 points 2 months ago (1 children)

New routers are coming out that can watch and track humans and other figures based on the reflection of the waves coming back to them.

Like a fine detailed radar of the inside of your house.

[–] DudeImMacGyver@kbin.earth 6 points 2 months ago

This isn't new btw.

[–] plsnerf7@lemmy.world 3 points 2 months ago (2 children)

signal proof clothing emf shield clothing Could this work?

[–] AnchoriteMagus@lemmy.world 5 points 2 months ago

From reading the article, not to my understanding. This technology uses the way radio waves, in this case wifi, are bouncing around a space in order to build a picture of the people in it. These clothes just block the signals from devices underneath them. As far as I know, the shape of the garment (and therefore you) would still look the same, and then whatever recognition, gait analysis, etc would still work.

[–] schwim@piefed.zip 2 points 2 months ago

Will* become.

[–] vane@lemmy.world 2 points 2 months ago

Wait until people discover how light bulbs are Mass Surveillance System

[–] rants_unnecessarily@piefed.social 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Soooo, you can make a device that records radio waves like a camera records light, sort of. So having these devices out in public is basically the same as having surveillance cameras. With slightly different features of course.

So, how is this any different to having CCTV? Or not being allowed to have CCTV? Whichever applies to your country/area.

[–] CombatWombatEsq@lemmy.world 3 points 2 months ago (1 children)

You can’t browse piefed using cctv.

[–] DudeImMacGyver@kbin.earth 3 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Well not with that attitude.

[–] CombatWombatEsq@lemmy.world 2 points 2 months ago (2 children)

I just mean that surveillance via wifi is so much more pernicious because wifi is useful. There is no use for cctv other than surveillance, so it would be relatively much easier to get rid of than wifi surveillance, and we haven’t even been able to get rid of that.

[–] DudeImMacGyver@kbin.earth 1 points 2 months ago

I know, I was just giving comedy a try.

[–] rants_unnecessarily@piefed.social 1 points 2 months ago

Yes, WiFi emitting devices are useful, and WiFi using devices are useful, but what about WiFi recording and interpreting devices.

[–] AnchoriteMagus@lemmy.world 1 points 2 months ago

Maybe some utility in a broadcast device of some sort that puts out a "cloud" of white noise in the wifi bandwidth. It'll stick out like a sore thumb that the detection is being tampered with, and will probably disrupt wifi in an area, but providing too much data for the system is probably a better call than trying to hide yourself from it.

There's just no feasible way right now to stop the way that radio waves interact with your body, other than not being in that location.