Worse than a facial recognition system?

Using wireless signals and artificial intelligence could turn a router into a monitoring system, researchers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have found.

The study also revealed that a person can still be identified even if their smartphone is shut down or they don’t carry it with them at all.

It’s enough that they’re surrounded by other people whose devices are communicating with each other.

“By observing the propagation of radio waves, we can create an image of the surroundings and of persons who are present,” explained Professor Thorsten Strufe from KIT’s Institute of Information Security and Dependability.

The expert compared it to a camera, but the difference is that “radio waves instead of light waves are used for the recognition.”

The research reveals that it’s possible to turn any router into a surveillance device, raising serious privacy concerns.

“If you regularly pass by a café that operates a WiFi network, you could be identified there without noticing it and be recognized later, for example, by public authorities or companies,” shared Julian Todt, a PhD researcher at KIT.

How does surveillance through WiFi work?

While there are different types of surveillance technologies available for quick identification, what makes wireless network surveillance stand out is that it’s almost everywhere and doesn’t raise suspicion because you can’t really see it.

This surveillance method also doesn’t require any extra hardware, either. A WiFi router is more than enough in this case, as the newly found method exploits the communication between the router and connected devices.

Devices connected to the wireless network send unencrypted feedback signals, also known as beamforming feedback information (BFI).

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These signals help create different images of a person. Once these images are fed to AI, it can take seconds to identify the individual.

To test whether this method really works, the study involved 197 participants, who were identified with almost 100% accuracy.

By conducting this study, researchers highlight the technology's potential risks, noting that such a surveillance method could be “critical” in authoritarian states, where it may be used to monitor opponents of the government.

Facial recognition technology: the new norm?

While such a type of person identification may sound wild, not that long ago, using facial recognition technology also seemed like something from a dystopian scenario.

A few years ago, facial recognition technology was viewed with some caution because it handles sensitive data. Now it seems to have been employed in many areas of our lives.

One such example is the use of facial recognition technology in retail to combat theft.

However, refusing a customer entry to a store because of past misdemeanors can cause confusion, especially when people are misidentified. Shops often don’t explain why a customer’s face has been added to their database.

Facial recognition technology has also been used to prevent fraud. At least that’s why Walt Disney Company decided to add the technology to some of its theme parks.

Nevertheless, the company was soon sued by a visitor to Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park.

The visitor noted that visitors weren’t told that by using facial recognition technology, the company was collecting users' sensitive data.

The company is now being sued for $5 million.

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