InfoBomber
This jacket is a physical artifact of the year 2040, in a possible future that is plagued with mass corporate surveillance and an arms race between algorithms and guerilla defense tactics. The Infobomber empowers the individual as an agent of cognitive warfare. Many of the tactics used in 2040 are internet-based, but they require a combination of digital and physical media to be wielded effectively. This jacket is a type of “modern armor,” just one tool of young protesters fighting against injustices committed by governments and corporations.
This piece was created as a part of a studio on global security in the Fall of 2019, investigating trends and challenges on the world stage that will appear in the next 20 years. My assignment was to create an artifact of a possible future in which new global security challenges would arise. I chose to study the 2019 Hong Kong protests, and how the tactics and behaviors of the protesters may influence the future of protest in a hyper-surveilled society.
The following is a photo series set in a hypothetical future, detailing the use of the InfoBomber jacket and the nightly routine of its wearer. The anti-surveillance protests of 2040 have descended from the 2019 Hong Kong protests, though they use some novel tactics made possible with new technologies.
This jacket is reversible, allowing the wearer to blend in with society during both daily activities and post-protest travel.
Many activists are students or employees, working during the day and taking to the streets at night.
Inspired by “Dazzle” camouflage utilized to conceal ships in WWII, “Computer Vision (CV) Dazzle” makeup is regularly used to disrupt facial recognition.Groups of protesters have coined signature looks and different methods of “dazzling” algorithms.
The construction of the jacket blocks various surveillance technologies. Retroflective fabric disrupts flash photography, and metal-plated pockets create a Faraday cage for electronic devices, preventing them from being tracked or scanned.
Protesters employ homemade methods to both spread information and frustrate surveillance attempts. DIY printed patches with machine readable codes directs others to information about current events, and printed clothing feed junk data into facial recognition algorithms by showing the same face repeatedly.
Symbols and slogans help protesters identify one another and show solidarity.
A small group of activists gather and head towards the main protest site, using masks and other techniques to conceal their identities.
Protesters sit down and take a break.
Activists must remove their “CV Dazzle” at the end of the night to avoid detection and harassment by police. Many carry makeup and wipes to blend back in with society before they return home. It’s dangerous to look like a protester while traveling to and from protest sites.
Jacket construction, makeup, concept: Lily Douglas
Photography: Anita Qian
Models: Shafi Adam, Lily Douglas, Gabriella Cardenas, Cat Cardenas, Shikhar Tyagi
CV “Dazzle” makeup inspired by Adam Harvey
Completed for 2019 Fall Industrial Design Advanced Studio, “Global Security,” taught by Tom Weis