Bill Swearingen's noRecognition initiative creates patterns that evade surveillance cameras, showcased at Def Con using a wrapped Toyota Yaris.
Summary
- Bill Swearingen's noRecognition initiative creates designs that obscure objects from surveillance cameras.
- These patterns successfully bypassed all tested detection algorithms, including those used by Flock and Axon.
- The initiative was publicly demonstrated at Def Con with a 2009 Toyota Yaris.
Bill Swearingen, co-founder of the SecKC security meetup in Kansas City, has spent a year developing patterns that can effectively hide objects from the detection systems of Flock cameras, a controversial surveillance technology. After 31 million tests, he claims to have found designs that confuse AI algorithms and prevent proper identification of vehicles and individuals.
Swearingen showcased his work at Def Con, partnering with Donut Media to wrap a Toyota Yaris in one of his patterns and drive it past a Flock camera. "We demonstrated its effectiveness," he stated, noting challenges posed by the vehicle's wheels. Donut Media plans to release footage of the demonstration soon.
While the camera can still record the vehicle, the patterns disrupt the AI's ability to recognize the car or its license plate, effectively rendering it indistinguishable among other traffic. This technique leverages adversarial machine learning principles, illustrating the gap between human perception and AI interpretation.
Swearingen's designs are created using a reinforcement learning model that adapts based on detection outcomes, generating new patterns every minute. He emphasizes that privacy is a fundamental right, and these patterns allow individuals to "opt out of being tracked."
The Ongoing Battle Against Detection Technologies
Efforts to evade surveillance have existed for years, with individuals using simplistic methods like placing traffic cones on autonomous vehicles. In more extreme cases, protesters have damaged these vehicles during immigration raids. While masks and specially designed clothing have been used to obscure identities, Swearingen's approach is distinct in its targeted testing against specific detection systems, particularly Flock, which is under scrutiny for its practices.
Flock plans to expand its surveillance capabilities significantly, raising concerns about wrongful detentions and the impacts on marginalized communities. As lawmakers investigate various surveillance technologies, privacy advocates are increasingly looking for legal means to combat these systems. Swearingen's noRecognition project is also crowdfunding to support merchandise, including vehicle wraps, while navigating legal considerations regarding license plate visibility across states.
“Each failure enhances my model, leading to continuous improvements in the patterns,” Swearingen remarked, indicating an ongoing commitment to refining his designs for better efficacy against surveillance technologies.
