March 16, 2004

Curious, George: Feeling watched? Not that I've got anything to hide *COUGH cough*, but I've become interested on anti-surveillance gizmos. How could I know anyone has set up some hidden camera on me, at some common area, or even at my own place? Has any attending monkey here ever used something like this?
posted by Flagpole 20 years ago
  • Never used one but I'm kinda confused about it. It doesn't scramble the signal, just detects a source. So would anyone really like just leave buildings/jobs based on that information. It's hard to find places without surveillance cameras anymore. Outside of using this to make sure your home is safe (and that seems pretty extreme paranoia) I don't see how this would be much use.
  • i must be abnormal because i couldn't care less who is watching me. in fact, HI THERE, EVERYONE WATCHING ME!!! seriously. privacy. bah.
  • Isn't that camera detector just a WiFi detector? Besides being useless if you have a wireless AP at home, it won't help if the camera isn't on 1.2 or 2.4 Ghz. I don't think your paranoia is unwarranted... every other ad I see on the web is for X10, and all their marketing is basically targeted for peeping toms. I think it'd be easier to do a visual search, based on viewing angles.
  • I just wear a tinfoil hat. That way the government can't hear what I'm thinking. Flagpole, I think your best bet is a time-honored technique. Just act really really naive about whatever it is you 'don't have to hide.' That way people will just dismiss you as a harmless idiot. Or, to put it another way, the stupider people think you are, the more surprised they will be when you kill them.
  • Wish I was important enough to have people wanting to spy on me! Any attention would be good attention right about now. You must be important. Seriously though, I think you should be fine if you excercise general caution and common sense. Just keep an eye peeled..... Don't completely go overboard though. I agree that if you act like you're totally naive and relaxed in a situation people are likely going to think that you have nothing to hide. It's when you start freaking out and acting like a total spazz that people will start wondering about you.
  • I don't know so much about the anti-surveillance stuff, but I'm using one of these to watch Flagpole right now. That's a nice shirt, Flagpole.
  • I don't know much about preventing being observed. I find that usually security cameras can be picked out fairly easily, in my building they look like fire detectors, but the little lenses in the side are the giveaway. Also if you work in an area with dropped tile ceilings, just lift up the tile, poke your head in and look for wires. I found out that one of the cameras outside my studio wasn't even plugged in that way. I then plugged it in, ran the cables into my studio and watched the janitor mop the hallway from the comfort of my chair and had everyone I know in the building stand out there and perform for me. Finally, if you find one these guys have some good ideas with what to do in front of them.