• Snot Flickerman
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    9 months ago

    Also don’t wear any clothing you bought from a unique Etsy store (or any store you physically visited and paid with a card).

    The clothes you wear to the protest should also be bought from a thrift store that you visited without your cellphone and paid for the clothing in cash.

    Otherwise, yes, your clothing purchases are tracked, and the young lady who torched a cop car during the George Floyd protests was literally found by the FBI searching Etsy purchase records for people who had bought that shirt.

    https://www.inquirer.com/news/lore-blumenthal-philly-protests-george-floyd-sentencing-20220728.html

    Other options are facial recognition defeating clothing like this:

    https://www.dezeen.com/2023/02/07/cap_able-facial-recognition-blocking-clothing/

    Or this:

    https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/2496686/anti-cctv-reflectacle-glasses-will-let-criminals-evade-the-law-and-activists-dodge-the-surveillance-state/


    EDIT:

    But neither of those help when we’re dealing with stuff like Gait Analysis.

    For help with that, we must turn to the Ministry…

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iV2ViNJFZC8

    • @altasshet@lemmy.ca
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      9 months ago

      Cory Doctorow has a solution: put some pebbles in your shoes, that will change the way you walk right away.

      • @Stache_@lemmy.ml
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        349 months ago

        I remember reading a book about this hacker student kid that would do that to sneak out of the school because they had gait recognition cameras. Can’t remember the name of the book though…

      • @JoshuaFalken@lemmy.world
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        59 months ago

        I’ve had this vague recollection of that book for over a decade and could never find it despite multiple search attempts and even requests on tip-of-my-tongue esque forums. I just could not remember any useful specific information about it for the life of me.

        To make this discovery from a random thread so organically is incredible.

        Many thanks to you and @Stache_@lemmy.ml both.

        • @Stache_@lemmy.ml
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          49 months ago

          Oh nice! Happy to have helped! To be honest there’s not much else I can remember from the book either haha.

          • @JoshuaFalken@lemmy.world
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            29 months ago

            You’re not alone - what I did remember was completely incorrect. I would have sworn that the cover was burgundy with the title in black lettering. Also I had thought the whole time it was called Big Brother - which was quite the wrench in the machine when it came to searching online. Wrong on both counts. Goes to show how fallable memory is.

            My library didn’t have a copy but the author has it available for free on his website in a few different formats. I’m looking forward to reading it - it’s a good deal longer than I’d thought. Thanks again.

    • @eethi@lemmy.world
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      499 months ago

      Yeah, the gait analysis is where I am truly fucked because I’m visibly disabled (and have gone to protests where i have been threatened with arrest, but evaded so far). I have been thinking about using my wheelchair at more protests though, so that might be able to fuck it up in the future.

      Or everyone just needs to stick a rock in their shoe, or wear one shoes that has a bit of a platform.

    • FuglyDuck
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      159 months ago

      thrift store clothing

      Not to mention if you get hit with OC spray, you’re not going to want to keep them anyhow. That shit is meant to get into and onto anything you touch. Getting it out again, is a pain in the ass.

    • @iAvicenna@lemmy.world
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      9 months ago

      I highly suspect the “adverserial attack” clothes are gonna work, it seems more like they are just taking advantage of a buzz word and it goes against not wearing easily identifiable clothes (you will be one of a handful of people wearing your stylish riot sweater). Carry a concealed ski mask with you and wear it when you need to and keep it hidden when not (so you don’t get easily identified as a rioter and become a target when alone).

      • @lone_faerie@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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        149 months ago

        I think they work, but will quickly be defeated. Facial recognition is nothing more than advanced pattern recognition. This clothing works by confusing the pattern the AI is trained to recognize. That may work with current models, but all it takes is to train the AI on what this adversarial clothing looks like so it can differentiate it from actual faces.

        • @Tinidril@midwest.social
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          79 months ago

          Assuming they get you on video, it would be trivial to crop out the clothes and give the algorithm only your face.

          • @lone_faerie@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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            39 months ago

            That’s certainly true. I think the more effective method is using makeup/face paint instead. But any of these methods are designed to confuse AI, they fall apart as soon as there’s any human intervention.

      • @LemmyKnowsBest@lemmy.world
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        59 months ago

        you said

        I highly suspect the “adverserial attack” clothes are gonna work

        but did you mean

        I highly suspect the “adverserial attack” clothes AREN’T gonna work

        ❓❔❓❔

    • @Maggoty@lemmy.world
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      79 months ago

      Please don’t use those sweaters thinking you’re not identifiable by face recognition. Making an AI think you’re an animal is good for walking around the city. The second a human is reviewing the footage they’re going to correct the AI and go straight to your face.

  • @Custoslibera@lemmy.world
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    9 months ago

    No phone

    No ID

    Don’t take private transport or public transport. Use a bicycle if you can and take an unusual route to and from.

    Wear very plain clothes of a solid colour (preferable black), no logos.

    Do not wear easily identifiable shoes.

    Be prepared to throw out your clothes after.

    Cover all parts of your body with clothes (use gloves for your hands, wear long sleeves and pants, wear a mask, use sunglasses to obscure eyes)

    Do not talk to anyone who approaches you. There will be plain clothes officers and they will attempt to engage you in conversation, just walk away.

    Do not talk to people who approach you and ask questions

  • @randint@lemmy.frozeninferno.xyz
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    1129 months ago

    Gee, people in the US need to be this cautious when protesting? Where I live it’s totally fine to just casually show up at protests, take selfies, talk to people and whatnot.

    • @SupraMario@lemmy.world
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      409 months ago

      No…we don’t. This I’m assuming is showing someone who’s idea of protesting is burning cars and businesses down.

      • @steveman_ha@lemmy.world
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        Sounds like someone doesn’t know (or care) what can happen to protestors that are protesting the “wrong things”… Like oil and gas pipelines, for example, or training centers for heightened police militarization. Or foreign policy, even, that one has been happening for generations already.

        Lol if only they would protest the right way, they wouldn’t have to worry about anything, right?

          • @Maggoty@lemmy.world
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            99 months ago

            The police in Atlanta literally executed a protest organizer in the protests against the new police training facility.

            • @ninpnin@sopuli.xyz
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              19 months ago

              What has that to do with the precautions that are being suggested in the picture and in the comment section?

              • @Maggoty@lemmy.world
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                9 months ago

                First. It pretty well disproves the “nothing to fear” line you used. Second, how do they know who to come after if your opsec is intact?

      • @ThatFembyWho@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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        9 months ago

        Well the police can declare an unlawful assembly at any time for any reason, which tends to stir up even peaceful crowds. Not to mention being face to face with militarized thugs in riot gear, drones, helicopters, armored vehicles, mounted police, tear gas and “non-lethal” rounds. If I had a gas cannister lobbed at me, why wouldn’t I toss it right back. Fuck em. ACAB.

        You might have no intention of causing trouble, but still get rounded up. Happened almost every day in my city for several months during BLM protests. Mass arrests of people in the wrong place at the wrong time. The countless live streamed videos don’t lie, each protest was non-violent until police agitated the crowd.

        I don’t go looking for trouble but I have my limits just like anyone else.

      • @Maggoty@lemmy.world
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        149 months ago

        The police have absolutely ordered peaceful day time crowds to disperse while blocking every exit. They then decide force is necessary because nobody is leaving. Look up police kettling.

    • @Shialac@lemmy.world
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      309 months ago

      You should take the same precautions in most european countries too, cops here are known to identify protesters and randomly raid their homes or arrest protesters under false pretense

    • @m0darn@lemmy.ca
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      279 months ago

      I live in Canada and there is a university professor that had police visit his house because he took some pictures of an oil project that was being protested while he was on a walking trail near the university.

      It was an interview on the cbc several years ago. He was a prof at SFU, I assume it was the trans mountain pipeline expansion.

      • @ninjaphysics@beehaw.org
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        239 months ago

        I think this comic is supposed to be based in the future.

        Seems pretty relevant now as well. Just ask the brave environmental activists with RICO charges in Atlanta, for starters.

        RIP Tortuguita

      • @ResoluteCatnap@lemmy.ml
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        89 months ago

        It depends on where you live. This absolutely is the present now in some countries. Like China you have to do this and more to protect your identity.

        And even if your country isn’t quite there yet, they could still be collecting all that data and just not doing anything with it other than observing and collecting more data on you/ the group.

      • @Maggoty@lemmy.world
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        69 months ago

        You say that like the protestors of the civil rights era and multiple wars don’t already have kids.

    • ...m...
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      119 months ago

      …in the `states, police can shoot you for any or no reason: we call it at-will liberty…

    • @blindsight@beehaw.org
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      89 months ago

      I think it depends on the protest, a little bit, but that’s generally the case in Canada, too.

      I counter-protested anti-SOGI assholes (didn’t want 2SLGBTQ+ taught in schools) and it was completely fine. I brought my 5 y.o.

    • @Maggoty@lemmy.world
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      89 months ago

      It depends on the issue, time of day, and local cops. In San Diego a pro Palestinian march was allowed to go around and the cops mostly stayed away except for helping to block a few intersections.

      In San Francisco they decided it was fine to pull anyone they thought was associated out of their cars and arrest them.

      So as general advice, yeah. Especially if the police are the subject of the protest. They take that personally and you’ll have to figure out how to deal with rubber bullets and tear gas

    • @wellee@lemmy.world
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      69 months ago

      I dont think so, I only see normally dressed people in major protests. People like this are usually doing something bad. Makes me think of the alt right tbh.

      • @stringere@leminal.space
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        119 months ago

        Or holding…checks notes…

        Wrench

        Cordless drill

        Water-hose nozzle

        Flashlight

        Shower rod

        Cane

        Broomstick

        Hairbrush

        Sunglasses

        Bottle of cologne

        Underwear

        Tinfoil

        Bottle of beer

        Pill bottle

        E-cigarette

        Cell phone

        Wallet

        iPod

        Wii remote

        Toy truck

        Sandwich

        Bible

        Hands

        …can we add Acorn to the list? I think Acorn can go on there now, also.

  • Jo Miran
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    1009 months ago

    Gen-X here. Gen-Z answers a question I had as a teen. “What the hell children will the extreme sports, tech-centric, video gaming, gangsta rap, grunge, rage against the machine, angst filled ‘slacker’ generation raise?”

  • @Duamerthrax@lemmy.world
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    629 months ago

    Just saying that a lacrosse stick would work well for launching back teargas grenades and could be used for the protest sign.

      • Mossy Feathers (She/They)
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        It’s a very dangerous strategy, but you’re kinda right. My understanding is that armed protests tend to ironically be the most peaceful because cops tend to be too scared to challenge you. However, that only works if the cops think they’re outnumbered, so you have to have a lot of people openly carrying and hope the cops don’t decide to escalate past basic riot gear.

        Edit: you also have to be prepared to pull the trigger. Like, seriously. If you’re open-carrying during a protest, you’d better be prepared to kill a cop or two in the event they decide to challenge you. If you don’t, then they’ll know the guns are just for show and will be quicker to challenge you in the future.

        • @Duamerthrax@lemmy.world
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          You need to absolutely out number the police and have enough trigger discipline NOT to fire first. Otherwise the armed protesters would just be put down and the cops would control the narrative. Look at the 60’s era Black Panther armed protests. They had enough guns that the cops weren’t interested in escalating.

  • KnoLord
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    479 months ago

    sadly, masking yourself when protesting is forbidden here in my country :c

          • @rtxn@lemmy.world
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            9 months ago

            Not a balaclava, but there are goggles and full-face masks that offer some protection. And even a balaclava is better than nothing against rubber bullets and bean bags.

            • @Jiggle_Physics@lemmy.world
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              219 months ago

              I have been shot with a bean bag. Balaclava isn’t going to do shit. I was wearing a leather coat and almost my whole torso was deeply bruised.

              • Snot Flickerman
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                209 months ago

                It doesn’t help that cops purposefully misuse those types of guns. If I recall correctly, they’re supposed to “bounce” the round off the ground and into the target, reducing the total amount of force hitting the target since some of the impact will be reduced from the first impact on the ground.

                The number of cops who just shoot people straight with these things point blank is too god damned high. However, you can still get deeply fucked up, even if they’re using it “correctly.”

                • @Jiggle_Physics@lemmy.world
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                  99 months ago

                  not just straight at people, they have caught police, on video, intentionally getting within arms reach and shooting at the head.

              • @rtxn@lemmy.world
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                I didn’t say it wouldn’t leave a bruise. Even solid armor plates won’t stop that amount of kinetic energy without leaving a mark. But having soft padding between the projectile and your skin will reduce the abrasion and force of low-angle impacts. “Better than nothing” in this case means the difference between a deep bruise, and a deep bruise under potentially an open and bleeding wound.

                • @Jiggle_Physics@lemmy.world
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                  19 months ago

                  I am saying that something as weak as a balaclava would not even accomplish this. If you have ever seen people get hit by these wearing hoodies, and the like, you will see they tear right through that shit like it isn’t even there. This is like trying to reduce the trauma of a hammer blow with a sheet of paper.

        • @Bytemeister@lemmy.world
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          49 months ago

          Nah. Dazzle pattern, or paint an extra nose and a few eyes.

          Now that I think about it, that is butterfly pattern isn’t it.

      • @CobblerScholar@lemmy.world
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        749 months ago

        Protest is never peaceful, if it is you’re doing it wrong. It should be non-violent and as respectful as possible but it needs to be disruptive and you can’t be peacefully disruptive

        • @SchmidtGenetics@lemmy.world
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          9 months ago

          Peaceful and non-violent are synonyms….

          You also contradict yourself as well. You say to be non-violent, then you say you can’t be peacefully disruptive… those contradict each other.

          • Snot Flickerman
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            409 months ago

            If me and my fellow protestors block a road, we are being non-violent, but we are being disruptive.

              • Snot Flickerman
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                9 months ago

                …and in 99% of the cases where it stops being “peaceful” it’s because cops come in and violently assault everyone to try to break up the protest.

                I’m really not sure of the point you’re trying to make. Protest can be peaceful, non-violent and disruptive.

          • @BarrelAgedBoredom@lemm.ee
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            69 months ago

            Non-violent in the context of political action does not exclude property damage and looting. A non violent protest is still disruptive, it’s the entire point

      • Snot Flickerman
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        349 months ago

        In the USA its because they use facial recognition and then decide to harass you for the next decade over every small infraction they can.

        Because nobody in a position of power would ever abuse that power! /s

      • @mumblerfish@lemmy.world
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        289 months ago

        There have been events where nazis show up to counter protest and film/photograph you to then share among themselves so they can attack you later.

        • @Random_German_Name@feddit.de
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          29 months ago

          Thats happening a lot lately in Germany. At every fucking Antifa protest at least one suspicious looking guy films with his handy. I honestly doubt, that they have the necessary skill and contact with other fascists in other cities to identify everybody, but I still don‘t want them to know my face

      • @bl_r@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        209 months ago

        Masks are no indicator of criminality. The idea that bad protesters wear masks is complete horseshit. It serves to divide movements and prevent momentum from being gained. It seeks to dissolve solidarity that couls have been gained at the protests.

        Masks allow peaceful protests to remain peaceful if they prevent the violence of the justice system. Sometimes protesters and organizers are simply arrested and thrown in jail for a bit, sometimes even given nonsense charges, which is something that happens to organizers and some protesters in my area.

        As well as that, masks can simply be good secops in some counter-protests such as protesting against fascist marches, gatherings, etc. If I’m showing up to show nazis or boogaloos or proud boys that they are unwelcome, the last thing I want is a violent right wing extremist group to try and doxx me. If I’m escorting people to a drag-queen story hour, I don’t want fascists to doxx me.

        It’s also smart in some areas, such as Harvard’s campus where organizers are constantly doxxed and accused of antisemitism even though they are not.

        Finally, what if the government makes your particular movement illegal? What if they start throwing the book people, accusing everyone involved(or at least the ones they can catch) of domestic terrorism? Wearing a mask will make it a lot easier for you to maintain your freedom when faced with the tyrrany of the state.

        Also, masks look cool, and that’s a pretty good reason imo.

      • Cethin
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        139 months ago

        “Peaceful protest” is the ideal they push because it doesn’t work. If it worked it wouldn’t be praised. They don’t want change.

  • N_Crow
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    269 months ago

    I’m not american. Why not bring your phone? Around here as long as you have a legion of people pointing cameras at cops they’ll not outright beat you senseless since it’ll be impossible to lie about some bullshit justification about how you did something first.

    • @kennismigrant@feddit.nl
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      679 months ago

      Why not bring your phone?

      Your SIM/IMEI are tied to your ID. The police can visit you at home later. Details depend on the country.

        • @LoamImprovement@beehaw.org
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          209 months ago

          Don’t trust the surveillance device to turn off because you ask nicely. Leaving it at home helps sell the idea that you weren’t at the protest you were at.

            • @Micromot@feddit.de
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              9 months ago

              I’m pretty sure the SIM still connects to cell towers even if you have mobile data deactivated

              Edit: on most phones it prevents the connection but there are still other ways to track like GPS

              • @ninpnin@sopuli.xyz
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                39 months ago

                The GPS data will not be sent to the carrier, will it? And your phone will only be searched if they can tell its you in the first place. In which case you got caught physically there anyway.

                Also this no id thing is confusing to me. I guess its just american law. In many other countries, they just jail you until you tell them who you are.

            • @kennismigrant@feddit.nl
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              49 months ago

              If you have an iPhone you can go ahead and try Flight Mode right now. You’ll see that it disconnects from WiFi and disables cellular. NFC, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi stay powered on, Bluetooth stays active. Yes, latest iOS has Bluetooth tracking protection on by default (varies by country, illegal in some), but it is not completely safe. I’m not sure about NFC and Wi-Fi. If you power the phone off it is unlikely to turn off the radios - they are needed for “find my iPhone” and similar features on Google and Samsung Galaxy phones.

              Overall you can’t be confident that your phone does not reveal your location and identity to “law enforcement”, especially in places where police is well equipped to track you.

    • @ysjet@lemmy.world
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      429 months ago

      Because they can use the phone company records to say “We think you were here when this “violent riot” happened (actually just a protest that police started shooting at protestors because they know they’ll get away with it), you’re arrested”. And cops don’t care if you’re recording, they’ll either break your phone or shoot you anyway and then claim it was self defense.

    • Remy Rose
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      359 months ago

      One, it’ll get smashed anyway. Two, if you manage to get away, they’ll work with your provider or location based apps to prove you were there and arrest you. Or, force you to unlock it so they can arrest your contacts. Filming them barely helps, there’s so many videos of cops beating the shit out of people with no justification, who have been identified and never faced any repercussions

      • Snot Flickerman
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        9 months ago

        Further, cops have learned to just play copyrighted music (say the Frozen soundtrack) when they see they are being recorded, that way if people upload it to the internet, they can rest easy that Disney will hit that video with a copyright strike and the video will be taken down before anyone can see it.

        Thankfully for protestors, audio editing exists, and certain AI tools have become very good at stripping certain audio from videos while keeping relevant audio. Leave it to cops to choose a “brute force” solution every time when finesse is all you really need to bypass their brute force.

        • @wandermind@sopuli.xyz
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          309 months ago

          cops have learned to just play copyrighted music (say the Frozen soundtrack)

          I hope they’ve secured the proper licenses for a public performance of that music.

        • @Ookami38@sh.itjust.works
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          39 months ago

          Funny, that was always my plan if I ever got hounded by paparazzi or journalists outside my house. Ear pro for me, a speaker blasting tunes, and a bullhorn loud enough to cause physical pain for entry/exit.

      • @deur@feddit.nl
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        9 months ago

        You. Cannot. Be. Forced. To. Unlock. A. Phone. With. A. Password.

        (In the United States)

        If you are caught with your phone in a bad situation, fight to manage to get it to shut down. Android will be stuck in a locked out state where biometrics are disabled. Im sure iphones can do something like that but rethink bringing your stupid iphone to a protest. Ask for a lawyer. Do not talk, do not answer questions, do not say anything else.

        • @Cupcake1972@mander.xyz
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          119 months ago

          You don’t even need to shut it down, newer Android phones (at least on LineageOS) have lockdown mode in the power menu.

          • Noa Himesaka
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            29 months ago

            Also on iPhone, you can just hold down buttons to trigger power down menu which also disables Touch/Face ID.

    • @doggle@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      259 months ago

      Phones are easily tracked, and police generally can get that info. As for the beatings, in the US police commonly aren’t held responsible even when they’ve clearly broken the law. Often, they aren’t even charged.

    • @Riven@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      9 months ago

      They can use phones to track you. I guess if you’re the one who is planning on throwing bricks then don’t bring it but if you’re just a warm body to fill the crowd a phone is fine since it’ll also prove your innocene if you record your whole stay there.

      • @EtherWhack@lemmy.world
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        89 months ago

        If you do that for video/photo evidence, make sure you are actively synching with your cloud. If you are streaming, make sure recording is also enabled.

    • Anise (they/she)
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      49 months ago
      1. Tracking via bluetooth, wifi, cell signals, nfc, etc. Does one trust airplane mode?
      2. Seizure of the device if one is arrested. There is legal debate about what methods law enforcement can use to get into the phone. One is exposing both whatever pictures and video was made at the protest but everything else going on in one’s life too.
      3. If one has a unique case or model, one can be doxxed.

      Action cameras are cheap, durable, and many come without any radios that can be used to track someone. They all look the same. Using a brand new sd card means that the only data on there is the pictures/video taken at the protest. The major downside is that if they are seized, they are an open book for law enforcement since they are unencrypted. If the sd card is taken or destroyed then one loses any evidence along with it.

  • @Hootz@lemmy.ca
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    209 months ago

    This is why I love the west coast of Canada, I can talk to the cops all I want, I can call them pigs, I can tell them they should learn to do their jobs, I can just straight up troll them and it’s protected.

    It doesn’t mean they won’t be absolutely shitty about it and try to start shit though.

    • @Maggoty@lemmy.world
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      149 months ago

      That’s generally the problem. Nothing good comes of engaging with the cops at a protest. Best case scenario is they do nothing. What case is they decide it’s become “violent” and order it to disperse.

  • Krafty Kactus
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    9 months ago

    Why shouldn’t you bring your phone?

    Edit for y’all who thought I don’t know what cell triangulation and gps tracking are: If you’re involved in protesting to the extent that you might be actively tracked, you should have the proper precautions in place on your phone that make it untraceable even when you’re carrying it with you.

    Edit 2: “Proper precautions” includes using GrapheneOS with 2 SIMs. Only use one of those SIMs at protests and make sure to never use them at the same time. If the government is tracking you past that point, why do you even have a phone in the first place?

    • @Wermhatswormhat@lemmy.world
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      329 months ago

      That’s how the FBI has been able to positively identify where people were during the January 6th Insurrection. The FBI said shortly after the insurrection that if you had your phone with you, you would be caught.

      • SuperDuper
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        259 months ago

        Also worth noting that a fuck load of those mouth breathers kept their location on and were posting pictures and videos to Parler, which didn’t bother to clear the EXIF or any metadata from user uploads.

    • midori
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      249 months ago

      Because it can place you at the location of the protest while it happens. Not very good for anonymity.

    • @StringCheese@lemmy.world
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      9 months ago

      Your phones manufacturer or carrier can be subpoenaed for the location, cops can seize it and identify and/or extract data from it, and IMSI catchers are often used at protests. If you need, you can buy a burner phone and prepaid sim just for the protest.

      • Snot Flickerman
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        9 months ago

        If you need, you can buy a burner phone and prepaid sim just for the protest.

        But can you buy it without a credit card or debit card tied to your name? A lot of places around me have made it so you must have a traceable type of payment to be able to buy a pre-paid phone. They won’t let you pay for it in cash.

          • Snot Flickerman
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            69 months ago

            Not sure, I haven’t tried that route. That seems like a simple workaround, however, so I suspect they probably don’t allow it with pre-paid cards but I could be wrong.

      • @LoamImprovement@beehaw.org
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        99 months ago

        Yeah, like if you’re going to the trouble of getting a faraday bag or a lead lined case or whatever you think makes it untraceable… Just leave it at home? It’s a liability.

    • @shoppingrat@lemmy.world
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      129 months ago

      there’s only two ways you are preventing carrier/google/apple signals coming out of a phone and giving yourself away:

      1. its something like a pinephone that has no google/apple services running and you have a physical toggle to turn off bluetooth, wifi, data

      2. a faraday bag

      • @shoppingrat@lemmy.world
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        69 months ago

        Govts and corpos will use bluetooth and wifi mac addresses to ID and track people. luckily more and more devices are shipped with wifi mac randomization.

    • Primarily0617
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      9 months ago

      your phone can’t work if your carrier doesn’t know where you are

      on top of that, advertisers put bluetooth receivers everywhere, which will log your phone as having been nearby, even if you don’t connect

      on top of that, you can do the same bluetooth trick with wifi endpoints

      plus your phone has a gps/glonass/whatever receiver in it

      probably other reasons too but those are the ones i can think of off the top of my head

      yes you can maybe mitigate all of these, but there are probably ones i haven’t thought of that people much smarter than me have, so why take the risk?

    • po-lina-ergi
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      39 months ago

      To respond to your edit: no, you just shouldn’t bring your phone

      You can’t harden your phone against every hypothetical because you can’t think of every hypothetical and it’s dumb to think you can. Why would you think you alone can outsmart teams of very well-paid people who literally sit around all day thinking about ways to track you using your phone?

      Your phone literally can’t even have signal without your carrier knowing where you are, so why bother bringing it?

      • AVincentInSpace
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        19 months ago

        Are you seriously here to tell me there are no uses for a cell phone without signal or Internet access, when the most common use for cell phones at protests is taking video?

      • anti-idpol action
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        9 months ago

        Like CNT did in 1936 when they got drunk on what essentially became grassroots market “socialism” and their leadership entered the bourgeois government thinking that there is no need to brutally and swiftly resolve the issue of proletarian/bourgeois dual power instead?

        Or Zapatistas, who have literally captured the capital of such a huge country but then decided to compromise and go back to the jungle for some narrow-minded reasons and ban abortion while they were at it?

        • @WaxedWookie@lemmy.world
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          49 months ago

          You forgot to make the point - you just vaguely gestured at examples of problems with those calling themselves anarchists… as though every last one of us hasn’t personally experienced problems with strong hierarchies.

          I understand that relying on a point rather than implied threats of violence may be new territory for someone advancing the position you appear to be, so I’ll give you another try - try steering clear of transparent hypocrisy this time too.

          • anti-idpol action
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            19 months ago

            implied threads of violence

            Either you are a revolutionary and want to act decisively, boldly and with some cohesion to smash the state apparatus and brush off aspiring bureaucratic traitors or you either get offended at a large scale yet in what is mostly isolation and burn out or practice glorified reformism.

              • anti-idpol action
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                9 months ago

                Nothing. But anarchism as a political movement is more divergent from Leninism (later rebranded by Zinovievites and Stalinists as “Luxemburgism” and “Trotskyism”) on the tactical matters which I find misguided, than anything else. Also I don’t love hierarchies and merely just view them through materialist optics like Engels did in “Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State”, as opposed to the idealistic approach of anarchist apriorism. I’ve sadly seen many anarchists drift towards harmless individualism due to this rejection of a coherent (democratic) structure as a means of getting organized because “hierarchy bad” (even if the org is actually pretty horizontal)

      • AVincentInSpace
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        9 months ago

        What am I supposed to do with it? Somehow skim someone’s badge without them noticing to unlock a proxcard door? Turn off a nearby TV? Use BadUSB functionality on one of the many computers with USB ports you commonly find on a street? I mean, I love my Flipper Zero to pieces, but I’m having a hard time figuring out what benefit bringing it with me to a protest (and risking having it confiscated if I get arrested) could possibly get me.