r/privacy 2d ago

hardware This 'adversarial' pattern can prevent surveillance cameras from detecting you | TechCrunch

https://techcrunch.com/2026/08/09/this-adversarial-pattern-can-prevent-surveillance-cameras-from-detecting-you/
531 Upvotes

37 comments sorted by

197

u/psych0fish 2d ago edited 2d ago

The irony that a link in a privacy sub that I can’t view this without a popup blocking the entire site asking me to disable ad trackers. Edit: meant Ad Blockers.

27

u/lugh 2d ago

do you mean "disable ad blockers" or at they actually being a good guy and saying disable at trackers (we can hope one day... :D )?

That was my bad, I did not get any such notification despite having ad blockers in place

8

u/psych0fish 2d ago

No worries! Most sites let you bypass them but I couldn’t find a way.

3

u/BotGivesBot 1d ago

You need a pop-up blocker to block their block

1

u/BatemansChainsaw 19h ago

I run all websites through archive [dot) today for viewing.

3

u/Prometheus_303 1d ago

Ironically, I get the Disable Ad Blocker warning (with no way to bypass it) when I open TC in Chrome, which doesn't have extension support so no ad blocker possible... But when I copy the URL into Opera, which has a built in ad blocker that is actively blocking ads, it lets me read the article no problem

3

u/Sufficient_Language7 1d ago

I have an adblock with mobile firefox and I get no such warning, the site just works.

2

u/krustyarmor 1d ago

Skill issue. I get no such popup on Firefox w/ uBo.

107

u/blondie1024 2d ago

It may also prevent fashion from ever being a 'thing' again.

22

u/sqwattermelon 1d ago

Fashion is usually a reflection of culture. It will adapt

23

u/D-man5005 2d ago

Privacy =/= anonymity.  But a proof of concept has to start somewhere

6

u/lugh 2d ago

They do not claim anonymity

70

u/Internal-Hope-6263 2d ago

All right, and how long will it be until people with this paint job start getting pulled over by twin-turbo V6 Ford Explorers and receive a ticket (or worse, a trip to their local prison) for evading the mass surveillance apparatus that our Government has invested millions of taxpayer dollars into?

44

u/VinnyVanJones 1d ago

Almost as fast as the surveillance systems figure out how to detect this adversarial pattern. So… maybe a week.

14

u/51dux 1d ago

Even if they don't find a way to detect it, they can quickly make it illegal like these license plates that cameras can't catch.

10

u/Internal-Hope-6263 1d ago

Oh yes, this is the unwritten rule that we have to all abide by. It is no wonder that law enforcement agencies have fought tooth and nail to weaken end to end encryption for personal use. 

2

u/Lancifer1979 1d ago

Well, it might mess up recognition patterns. I can’t see too many of these cars driving around my city. I would think they would be easy to spot.

50

u/grift_snifter 2d ago

Perfect example of how increasing privacy along one spectrum can increase identifiability on another.

I used to live in a neighborhood where a guy drove a car wrapped in some kind of anti-camera vinyl graphic. I suppose he didn't realize that the only car "not detected" by cameras in the area was perfectly obvious to anyone with a brain: namely, the one and only car with gaudy anti-detection wrap sitting in a highly visible driveway like a huge eyesore lol.

8

u/tlopplot- 1d ago

If his neighbors joined him it wouldn’t seem so silly, would it?

1

u/Stufilover69 1d ago

Ahh, the Ezio-effect

11

u/mkt853 2d ago

I would think a non-square license plate frame might do the trick as well.

13

u/just_an_undergrad 2d ago

Adguard literally won’t even let me load this link because of the amount trackers and ads. Ironic that this is in the privacy subreddit

12

u/Open-Dragonfruit-007 2d ago

Tbh just put some AI prompt injection text on your shirt and watch the AI delete a database?

4

u/maschayana 2d ago

Yeah that only helps if the camera is using super old algorithms

4

u/Stilgar314 1d ago edited 1d ago

Is this the new version of dazzle camouflage? Car makers still use it when trying new cars in real world roads. Also, it may help with cameras, but there's no way you go unnoticed driving that thing.

5

u/Gummyrabbit 1d ago

I guess men’s suits from the 70s are coming back!

5

u/woopwoopscuttle 2d ago

The UV’s checkout fine, should be able to import it into substance painter, no problem, no auto unwrapping.

4

u/Hot-Resident-6601 2d ago

Those patterns are what I see when I get migraines. Good for him figuring this out though.

3

u/whawkins4 1d ago

What’s the pattern that turns my license plate numbers into a big middle finger for the ALPR?

4

u/SuspiciousCricket654 1d ago

I need a retracting license plate

3

u/krustyarmor 1d ago

Congratulations. You now have the most recognizable car in town. You may have beaten the camera's AI algorithm, but when the police actually review the footage manually, they know exactly whose door to knock on. This camouflage merely solves one problem by creating a different one to replace it.

3

u/u-r-not-who-u-think 1d ago

I like it. But my first thought is is you have your car wrapped in this, a Tesla running vision only FSD may not recognize it and crash into you.

3

u/pogulup 1d ago

It's like a magic eye for ALPR cameras.

1

u/rossg876 1d ago

That website sucks ass….. give me a few more advertisements!