this post was submitted on 18 Jul 2024
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Privacy

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Digital privacy seems quite straightforward, because your digital devices are environments you more or less can have complete control over if you want to. But when you're out and about, it's a much more uncontrolled environment. There are cameras everywhere.

I wear face masks everywhere for a combo of protecting myself from illness and privacy. But the limitation is social acceptability. If anything good came out of covid it's the normalisation of face masks, but you are far from unidentifiable if your only face covering is a covid mask. We're lucky that sunglasses and hoodies on their own are fairly normal, but all of the above in combination would draw attention to you. And it's definitely not socially acceptable to walk around in a balaclava.

The other thing is forensic data. If you don't wear gloves, you'll leave fingerprints everywhere, and hair too. I suppose wearing gloves is not particularly seen as weird or suspicious, but it just seems like there are a lot of considerations and challenges with preventing the state from knowing your every move when you leave the house.

What considerations do you make for IRL privacy, if any?

(Not particularly interested in "I don't care about IRL privacy so I don't do anything"—that's fine and your choice, but ofc this question is aimed towards those who do care)

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[–] Blaster_M@lemmy.world 56 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)
[–] delirious_owl@discuss.online 5 points 11 months ago (1 children)

This is one of the greatest things that came out of the pandemic, though. Its no longer weird to walk around in a face mask. Its normalized in almost every country, instead of just Asians.

[–] Blaster_M@lemmy.world 8 points 11 months ago

Everywhere except in the USA's Republican states. It's an unforgiveable sin to be seen with a mask on there for stupid reasons.

[–] frightful_hobgoblin@lemmy.ml 28 points 11 months ago (19 children)

cash

not much I can do about CCTV (without breaching important social norms)

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[–] wizardbeard@lemmy.dbzer0.com 20 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Gotta say, I don't think most peoples' threat models make worrying about IRL privacy a concern, but that's obviously not the point.

For the record, I don't use any of these techniques myself, it's just stuff I've read.

For facial recognition, a lot of CCTV cameras don't have IR filters, and can be blinded with Infrared LEDs, so there have been some promising experiments with shoving a bunch of them into hats. You'll glow real bright in any footage, but they won't be able to see your face.

Beyond that, there's always prosthetics (think like what is used in movies) to alter your facial characteristics.

All that said, I believe the main way of identifying individuals in camera footage now is by gait analysis. Supposedly a rock in your shoe can change it enough to not match up between different footage.

You'd also want to ditch your phone or put it in a signal blocking bag, as it can be uniquely identified by the saved wifi SSIDs that it tries to connect to, and by its bluetooth unique identifier (might just be the MAC address), that can be tracked by low energy bluetooth beacons (how stores track customer movement within and how most places did covid exposure tracing with the apps).

As far as fingerprints go, maybe a light layer of superglue on your fingertips to disrupt the print patterns? That's a complete guess though.

[–] DynamoSunshirtSandals@possumpat.io 8 points 11 months ago

What are the chances that an IR LED hat would get you run over by a self-driving vehicle? We already know they don't deal well with anything out of the ordinary, and they routinely slam into trucks and barriers.

[–] can@sh.itjust.works 17 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (2 children)

Barely related, but I did see this recently and had a laugh

Edit: correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe they misunderstood the abbreviation "cctv". Mixing up "closed-circuit" and "closed-captioned".

[–] dukethorion@lemmy.world 10 points 11 months ago (1 children)

[Loud spinning tire sounds]

[–] can@sh.itjust.works 6 points 11 months ago (1 children)
[–] far_university1990@feddit.de 5 points 11 months ago (1 children)
[–] Facebones@reddthat.com 5 points 11 months ago (2 children)

[different person speaking english through a phone speaker]

[–] can@sh.itjust.works 4 points 11 months ago

[beat drops]

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[–] delirious_owl@discuss.online 2 points 11 months ago (1 children)
[–] can@sh.itjust.works 2 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

It was at a gas station pump. It's about pumping gas and leaving without paying.

[–] Imprint9816@lemmy.dbzer0.com 10 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

Nothing. The effort required to make a meaningful impact against this type of threat is way beyond my threat level.

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[–] delirious_owl@discuss.online 7 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I wear a giant Juggernaut-style helmet

[–] stellargmite@lemmy.world 6 points 11 months ago (1 children)

That’ll help with keeping a low profile. I personally go for a red flashing clown nose, and triggers in my shoes which set off a loud explosion sound with every step. The speaker is in my ridiculously tall top hat.

[–] delirious_owl@discuss.online 6 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Nice! You'll basically be invisible

[–] ArcaneSlime@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 11 months ago

Tbh I'd be trying to avoid eye contact so this may kinda work by making them seem unstable and insane. I'd remember them as crazy guys but wouldn't be able to identify them without their outfit.

[–] JoeKrogan@lemmy.world 6 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

I don't really bother much in public places, I use umbrellas when it rains and sunglasses when it is sunny, but In general I try to avoid connecting to public WiFi and always use my vpn when I do.

I dont have any identifying data on my mailbox. I make sure to destroy PII on mail.

My routine is normal, gray, boring.

[–] dutchkimble@lemy.lol 5 points 11 months ago (1 children)

They should make a sunscreen or moisturiser that shields you from face recognition and fingerprints, like those covers on license plates that make em shine on police cameras

[–] Rolando@lemmy.world 3 points 11 months ago

a sunscreen or moisturiser that shields you from face recognition

[–] HubertManne@moist.catsweat.com 4 points 11 months ago

My wife wears rubber gloves to the doctor. I have thought about getting some light butler type gloves for riding the train and such.

[–] UltraGiGaGigantic@lemm.ee 3 points 11 months ago

Stay in the basement and drink alone.

[–] nate3d@lemmy.world 3 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

I love my Kolari shades I picked up when they were running their kickstarter. Fantastic to use indoors and out. https://kolarivision.com/product/kolari-shades-ultra/

Oh and if you have need enough to worry about fingerprints, best to just get rid of them outright and deal with the rather short but uncomfortable recovery for your fingers to heal back over.

[–] delirious_owl@discuss.online 2 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Right, I just have to work at the pineapple plantation for 8 more years, then I'll be set

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[–] Nastybutler@lemmy.world 3 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Ride a motorcycle. Then if you're wearing a helmet and gloves it's not odd

[–] delirious_owl@discuss.online 3 points 11 months ago

Motorcycles have license plates. Better to ride a bmx bicycle with a motorcycle helmet.

Won't attract any attention at all /s

[–] theblips@lemm.ee 1 points 1 month ago

Masks and shades are about as much as you can do without being the weirdo. It at least shields you from some of the less resource intensive threats such as other civilians trying to record you for social media, but real mass surveillance, like China level, will still work

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