Advice on how to avoid identification from surveillance cameras

Our Take

This video, from the channel Digital ID, Mass Surveillance and Digital Currency, walks through practical tips for dodging facial recognition and camera identification. We're not going to rehash the specific tactics here — that's the creator's work, and credit to them for digging into a topic most mainstream outlets won't touch. But the fact that this kind of content exists, and finds an audience, tells you something important: people are no longer passive about being watched. They're actively researching how to opt out of systems they never consented to in the first place.

That instinct is exactly right, but it's worth remembering that personal evasion tactics have limits — especially against automated license plate readers like Flock Safety's cameras, which don't care about your hoodie or your walking gait. ALPRs log your plate, location, and timestamp regardless of how camera-shy you are on foot, building a movement history that can be queried by hundreds of agencies with minimal oversight. Avoiding facial recognition is one battlefield; the quieter, arguably more invasive one is the camera bolted to a pole at the end of your street.

That's why we think the fight against mass surveillance needs more than individual workarounds — it needs visibility into where these systems actually are and organized pushback against their expansion. Check our map to see what's been documented in your area, and if you're ready to push back on a city council or county board, our take-action resources can help you get started.