this post was submitted on 25 Jul 2025
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The Sapienza computer scientists say Wi-Fi signals offer superior surveillance potential compared to cameras because they're not affected by light conditions, can penetrate walls and other obstacles, and they're more privacy-preserving than visual images.

[…] The Rome-based researchers who proposed WhoFi claim their technique makes accurate matches on the public NTU-Fi dataset up to 95.5 percent of the time when the deep neural network uses the transformer encoding architecture.

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[–] Sabata11792@ani.social 52 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Incorrect bio-signature detected, drink verification can to continue your content.

[–] ayane@lemmy.vg 3 points 1 day ago

Legendary reference

[–] Glitterbomb@lemmy.world 22 points 1 day ago (1 children)
[–] Evotech@lemmy.world 0 points 15 hours ago* (last edited 15 hours ago)

Well, that’s quite different, it didn’t identify anyone

[–] GrantUsEyes@lemmy.zip 19 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I was having a nice day :(

[–] hakunawazo@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Yes, according to your wifi fingerprint, you had.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQn9L-wkq_c&t=1m29s

[–] ObviouslyNotBanana@piefed.world 80 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Great, another dystopian way for authorities to observe me on the shitter

[–] INHALE_VEGETABLES@aussie.zone 30 points 1 day ago (3 children)

Your poo time has expired and your pay is docked. Flushing will cost 50 dollars for the next week. Get back to work

[–] Diplomjodler3@lemmy.world 18 points 1 day ago (1 children)

You get poo time? That's socialism!

All time is poo time when you're close to the boss's desk

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[–] besselj@lemmy.ca 159 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Ironically, a tin foil hat would probably work to prevent that kind of surveillance

[–] pelespirit@sh.itjust.works 60 points 2 days ago

A faraday hat.

[–] hornedfiend@sopuli.xyz 27 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (2 children)

wouldn’t that make it worse? basically any signal can bounce off you, making yourself even easier to track.

edit: wording

[–] Capricorn_Geriatric@lemmy.world 1 points 20 hours ago

Since it 'figerprints' you, changing your fingerprint by blocking parts of the signal with pieces of foil doesn't seem like a terrible idea.

Now, the question is: is such a tactic like wearing gloves, or like using super glue?

[–] besselj@lemmy.ca 37 points 2 days ago (1 children)

The tracking happens even with a big reflector/scatterer on your head, but as long as you dont wear it regularly, the system would have difficulty identifying you from wave propagation alone

[–] Flagstaff@programming.dev 30 points 2 days ago (2 children)

So wear many different hats. Got it.

[–] Passerby6497@lemmy.world 12 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Many different items of tinfoil clothing. Tinfoil shirt today, tinfoil codpiece for the weekend

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[–] DasFaultier@sh.itjust.works 18 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I mean, wouldn't you anyway? You don't wear your good Sunday tinfoil hat to work. That one's for church and swinger club visits only!

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[–] unmagical@lemmy.ml 105 points 2 days ago (18 children)

I'm generally pro research, but occasionally I come across a body of research and wish I could just shut down what they're doing and rewind the clock to before that started.

There is no benefit of this for the common person. There is no end user need or product for being able to identify individuals based on their interactions with WiFi signals. The only people that benefit from this are large corporations and governments and that's from them turning it on you.

Continued research will ease widespread surveillance and mass tracking. That's not a good thing.

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[–] TheBat@lemmy.world 118 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Chuck vindicated. What a chicanery.

[–] eleitl@lemmy.zip 19 points 1 day ago (1 children)

That's a very unique fingerprint he's got.

[–] TonyTonyChopper@mander.xyz 8 points 1 day ago

"Hey boss come look. This microwave is walking around again"

[–] Seleni@lemmy.world 68 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (3 children)

accurate matches up to 95.5% of the time

and they’re more privacy-preserving than visual images

Oh fuck all the way off.

[–] iglou@programming.dev 19 points 1 day ago

My thought exactly. Their definition of privacy is... interesting

[–] D_C@sh.itjust.works 10 points 1 day ago (2 children)

When anyone or anything says that their product works "up to x%" I always presume it doesn't really work at all.
Christ, 1% is included in that "up to 95.5%" vague bullshit statement.

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[–] hisao@ani.social 74 points 2 days ago (4 children)

I've seen some article recently that the patterns of Wi-Fi/Bluetooth (don't remember which one) interference with brainwaves can be scanned to reconstruct brainwave signature remotely, meaning that it might be possible to scan anyone's EEG from Wi-Fi/Bluetooth distance. And there are some AI advancements for reconstructing inner monologue from EEG. So maybe we're not so far from actual remote mind-reading.

[–] jmill@lemmy.zip 71 points 2 days ago (1 children)

A truly horrifying prospect.

[–] pdxfed@lemmy.world 30 points 2 days ago (5 children)
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[–] Diplomjodler3@lemmy.world 15 points 1 day ago (1 children)

You had non work related thoughts on three separate occasions last week. Please report to HR for attitude adjustment.

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[–] whotookkarl@lemmy.dbzer0.com 7 points 1 day ago

Stilsuits: get it for the unbearable heat as we turn the Earth into a desert, now with wifi blocking!

[–] ParadoxSeahorse@lemmy.world 22 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Someone’s going to use this to drop missiles on “baddies” with their sleeping families in 3 2 1

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[–] artyom@piefed.social 42 points 2 days ago (11 children)

they're more privacy-preserving than visual images.

hhhhwat. How can they identify you and also be privacy preserving? 🤔

[–] sorter_plainview@lemmy.today 18 points 2 days ago (1 children)

It's all AI. You should not worry about it. In fact you should not think about it. All is going to be fine.

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[–] Vanilla_PuddinFudge@infosec.pub 9 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Let me know when I can selfhost LibreFi Security on my router and use it for myself. Sounds great for private home use.

[–] hodgepodgin@lemmy.zip 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)

ALERT ALERT ALERT

Sorry dude I forgot to add your bio signature to my WiFi router.

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[–] LillyPip@lemmy.ca 28 points 2 days ago (8 children)

Neat. Good luck protecting yourself from this.

On the other hand, I’m seriously considering opening an Etsy shop selling foil-lined clothes. I’m pretty good at sewing. What do you think?

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