You’re out sight-seeing and you post a selfie to Instagram. Before long, an unknown computer posts a video of you — taken before, during, and after your selfie! — from a nearby security camera. What the? Is Interpol after you? The NSA?
Actually it’s just one guy. The Follower (2022) was the provocative work of Belgian technology artist Dries Depoorter, who exploits unsecured cameras and APIs to expose the dark sides of cybersecurity, privacy, social media, and artificial intelligence.
Featured image: Seattle Crime Cams (2017) — City police share data on where they’re going in real time. This project finds live cameras nearby, with live police radio.
With a background in electronics, Depoorter also studied media arts and worked in advertising. Now he makes art for a living, and one of his main mediums is AI, applied to ubiquitous internet-connected surveillance cameras: security cams, traffic cams, doorbell cams, cameras in somebody’s living room, lobby, or legislature.
I chatted with Depoorter to learn more about how he deploys AI to spy, and why.
How did you become focused on surveillance? Was there an incident that turned you in that direction?
Surveillance, privacy, AI, and the role of technology in society have always intrigued me. While there’s no singular event in my life that steered me toward this topic, I’ve always been fascinated by the tension between the benefits of technology and the potential threats to our privacy.
How did you find open cameras for your work? Lists of public cams? Or did you hunt them down?
I mainly use Shodan, a search engine for internet connected devices. Shodan provides an extensive database of cameras and other devices that are openly accessible on the internet. I haven’t had the need to resort to wardriving.
What’s your go-to technology for image recognition?
In most of my installations I use Raspberry Pi. If I need something more powerful I use Nvidia Jetson Nano; if I still need more power I will use AWS. In most of my work I use Keras for face recognition, and for object detection I use Yolo.
The Follower
So what was the reaction to The Follower?
It was intense. The reaction was, “If only one guy achieved that with simple open source software, imagine what a government can do with access to way more cameras, way more computer power, and way more resources.”
I had to take down the video because of copyright issues with public cameras, some companies claimed they had rights to the images.
In your view what are the most highly surveilled cities? I’ve heard London? Does the USA compare?
Yes, I think it’s London. But in some countries it’s easier to find open cameras.
Jaywalking
Jaywalking shows how pervasive cameras are, but also how easily we turn into informants in a surveillance society. It reminded me of that psychology experiment where obedient subjects were willing to press a button to torture someone!
Absolutely. Jaywalking highlights not just the reach of surveillance but also how it nudges us to police each other. It’s reminiscent of the Milgram experiment, where authority influenced people to act against their morals. In both we see the power of external forces shaping individual behavior.
Quick Fix
Quick Fix points out problems of trust and fraud in social media: bots, fake accounts, inflated user statistics. But it also gets at the influencer economy specifically — if attention is money, then why not cheat to keep those numbers up?
You’ve hit the nail on the head! Quick Fix shines a light on the hidden corners of social media. If I can manipulate numbers and attention, imagine what bigger entities with more resources can do.
It makes us question what’s real and what’s not, especially when popularity and money are so closely linked. It’s a peek behind the curtain of the social media game, where sometimes, things aren’t as they seem.
Surveillance
Your Surveillance pieces give us the uneasy feeling that any camera might be connected to AI that is classifying and reporting what is sees — even hunting for someone specific. It’s like the fantastical all-seeing NSA in the spy movies, but you’re showing that potentially anyone can do it.
Sure thing! These projects show us just how much surveillance in combination with AI is a part of our everyday life. It’s clear that cameras and technology are watching in many places we go. It’s a reminder for us to be aware and think about how much we’re being seen.
The Flemish Scrollers
With The Flemish Scrollers are you intentionally turning the tables? Governments can use AI to spy on us to make sure we’re not breaking the laws, but here we can use AI to keep an eye on the government while they’re making the laws!
It’s interesting, right? The Flemish Scrollers plays with that idea, flipping the script on surveillance. It’s about empowering the public and holding authorities accountable, reminding everyone that transparency should be a two-way street.
Short Life
This article appeared in Make: Vol 87. Subscribe for more great projects.
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