Bill Swearingen develops patterns to disrupt surveillance algorithms

Bill Swearingen has developed noRecognition, an experimental project designed to disrupt automated surveillance and license plate readers using specialized patterns. After conducting 31 million tests against 11 open-source algorithms, Swearingen demonstrated the system at Def Con.

The technology does not make a person invisible to a camera; rather, it uses patterns on clothing, objects, or vehicles to confuse the machine-learning algorithms responsible for automatic detection and sorting. The goal is to provide individuals with tools to protect their privacy and avoid being tracked by automated systems that identify faces, plates, and objects.