With the advent of technology, we are more exposed to surveillance than ever before. Governments and corporations are using cameras and sensors to track our every move. This is where Cory Doctow's Little Brother comes in, where the protagonist uses technology to fight back against the surveillance state. While this may be a work of fiction, one can draw inspiration from it, like the homemade specs that could protect you from surveillance.
These specs use a simple hack consisting of mounting two infrared LEDs into the frames of a pair of sunglasses and running the cables to the earpieces, where they hook up with a couple of button batteries. The infrared LEDs shine a light that is invisible to the naked eye but can be picked up by surveillance cameras. The light then saturates the camera's sensor, causing the image to be overexposed and making it impossible for the camera to see anything.
This simple hack can be made with materials readily available at your local electronic store. With a little bit of tinkering, you can create your own covert glasses to protect your privacy from government and corporate surveillance.
While this may seem like a fun little experiment, the technology behind it has broader implications. Industrial Infrared Curtain technology, for example, works on the same principle of overexposing sensors with infrared light. These curtains are used in industries to detect objects passing through them, and the overexposure makes it easier for the sensors to detect proper-sized objects.
In the same way, our homemade infrared shades can block the sensors from detecting our faces, making it difficult for facial recognition software to work. This may seem like a small step, but every little effort counts in the battle against surveillance.
In conclusion, making your own infrared shades is an easy and fun project that can protect your privacy from surveillance. With the ever-increasing use of surveillance technology, it is essential to use any means possible to protect ourselves. And who knows, this may be the start of a counter-culture hacking movement, inspired by Little Brother, where people take control of their privacy in a world where privacy is almost non-existent.