A new project to reform Chinese extradition laws has caused millions of citizens in Hong Kong to take over the streets to demonstrate against Beijing’s plans. Despite mass protests, Chinese authorities are trying to identify movement leaders using various facial identification techniques, number phone tracking, among other methods. However, information security experts mention that demonstrators have devised some methods to prevent the authorities from intruding on the advance of this social movement.
Whether through the information spread via secure
platforms, use of anti-facial recognition mechanisms, or simply by sharing the
word over the Internet, civilians in Hong Kong have managed to render China’s
efforts to dismantle this movement useless. Here are some of the ways the
demonstrators have found to keep protesting without risking their identity.
Secure messaging apps
Currently there are multiple services that facilitate the mass sending of information that, unlike WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger, give users greater protection against identity tracking. Whether entering the service anonymously or by creating massive information dissemination groups, these tools are the ideal choice for sharing details about a demonstration. Among the most used are:
- Telegram
Telegram is the fastest messaging app available
today; this platform connects people through a single, distributed network of
data centers around the world. Allows permanent deletion of old messages and
the creation of public chat groups to share information anonymously.
- Threema
This app has encryption in all its phases to
achieve total anonymity, besides that it does not require entering an email
address to access. This app also
includes a function to synchronize messages from several devices at once,
including the browser version.
- Wickr Me
This app offers encryption for text, voice and
video messages. It has an expiration time feature, which allows the
self-destruction of messages after a certain time. It does not require a phone
number or email address to register, so it is a good choice in terms of user
anonymity.
- Signal
Private Messenger
It is considered one of the most secure
messaging and calling platforms. The uniqueness of this open source app is that
the content is not stored on the company’s server, so it cannot be intercepted,
plus the information also self-destructs after a while, even alerts the user
when someone takes a screenshot in the app.
- Wire
Secure Messenger
An application that offers protected group
chats and video calls with up to ten people and allows you to log in with
different accounts, which makes it easier to switch between personal
conversations and for other purposes.
- FireChat
App developed by Open Garden that connects
devices via Bluetooth, WiFi, among other protocols through peer-to-peer connections.
- Bridgefy
Bridgefy is a messaging app that allows you to chat even without an Internet connection. Using the smartphone’s Bluetooth, users of this app can send messages to other people within a radius of up to 100 meters.
Anti-facial recognition mechanisms
To mitigate social mobilizations, authoritarian
governments, such as China’s, use facial recognition systems, detecting
movement leaders to stop them from fulfilling organizational work. According to
information security experts, there are currently various tools to deceive or
disable these tracking mechanisms, although it is also possible to circumvent
detection with simpler techniques, as shown below.
• Use of lasers
Lasers are light sources powerful enough to
obstruct the vision of a facial recognition camera. Almost any laser, from the
most sophisticated to the most economical, can help prevent these systems from
detecting a person.
• Umbrellas
These common objects also help a lot in
protests in Hong Kong, as demonstrators use them to block the visibility of
surveillance systems and even as a method of protecting against tear gas bombs
dropped by police.
As for devices specially designed against
facial recognition technology, the information security experts show a
highlight:
- Bright
lenses
These were developed by Japan’s National
Institute of Computing, and include eleven LED lights specially positioned to
brighten the eyes and nose, which are the points that facial recognition
systems usually look for.
- Reflective
lenses
These lenses have the ability to project
infrared lights. This means that security cameras would not be able to detect
and capture their facial features, because basically all recognition devices
use this technology.
- IRpair
Lenses
These lenses are equipped with optical filters
specially designed to prevent infrared light from passing through the crystals,
allowing only natural light to pass through, thus blocking facial recognition
systems.
- Hyperface
Clothing
Another option described by information
security experts is to confuse the recognition software, overwhelming it with
images of faces and objects so that it cannot identify the user’s face.
Hyperface uses stamps to create “fake faces” so recognition systems
will have difficulty tracking the user.
Search for support on
the Internet
Social protest is not limited to taking over
the streets of a big city. Recently, one way to gain followers of a social
movement or cause is to use online petitioning and crowdfunding platforms.
There are several sites where users can post their requests in order to achieve
high media impact and support on social networks. Among the most commonly used
ones today are:
- change.org
- peticiones.org
- mifirma.com
Use of social media
Information security experts from the
International Institute of Cyber Security (IICS) mention that social media is
one of the most accessible resources for those interested in spreading a social
message or protest against a repressive government or politician.
For nearly a decade, social media has made it easier to organize mass protests; thanks to Twitter and Facebook, people with a common cause can instantly spread their mutual outrage, as a post on these platforms can reach hundreds of thousands, or even millions of users in a matter of hours.
Digital protest is really important nowadays;
even some experts believe it would be difficult for organizers to reach current
levels of media impact and social mobilization without the support of social
media platforms.
