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Networked devices implicate us and others without our consent. Surveillance capitalism has warped the way we circulate information and the snake eats it’s own tail: surveillance warps how we understand surveillance.

The golden rule: you were never here.

Surveillance infrastructure is all over NYC-- cameras, sensors, databases, and spies. When making decisions about self defense against surveillance policing, ask yourself: will this create/is this proof that I went to a protest today? Make plans to either 1) destroy or 2) hide that proof from law enforcement. Hiding proof from cops is significantly more difficult than destroying it, or even better--never creating it. Similarly, don’t be a snitch. If you have proof that someone connected to you went to a protest, either hide it or get rid of it--especially if they are a Black person. You can paint over (not blur) the bodies (not just faces!) of other protestors in documentation, but this is a courtesy to others, not a truly secure way to document acts of protest.

If you aren’t sure if you’ve properly hidden the identities of people in your photo documentation, absolutely do not post it online. There are police officers whose sole responsibility is spying on protesters’ social media pages.

Surveillance and COVID-19

If you get tested for COVID-19, you are not obligated to tell any medical professionals that you were at a protest--don’t volunteer that information. Insurances can deny you. In Minneapolis, contact tracing is already being weaponized by law enforcement against protestors.

Facial recognition and other biometric data

Wear a mask and sunglasses. This isn’t just to protect from COVID-19, it’s to protect you from surveillance policing. While consumer level facial recognition (Instagram, Snapchat) is relatively weak, the technology being used by law enforcement is able to identify you solely from your eyes and eyebrows. CV-Dazzle, or anti-facial recognition makeup, is not powerful enough to protect you, makes you stick out and can make teargas and pepper spray worse.

Dress as plainly as possible. No logos, no close-fitting clothes. Police are trained to identify people by their body type, as well as by the way they walk. Hide your tattoos, unnaturally colored hair, birthmarks, vibrant nails, etc. Look boring, guys.

Do not accept food, drinks, cigarettes--really anything, from people neither you nor anyone in your “protest pod” know. We have learned that undercover cops and white supremacists have been coming to protests and causing trouble. Not only might food/drink be tampered with, but the NYPD has been creating a database of DNA data for the past couple of years. Similarly, if you’re not wearing gloves, be careful what you touch.