{
  "id": 423161,
  "title": "Everything you do is being recorded",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/09/everything-you-do-is-being-recorded-423161",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-08-09T11:30:48.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Hacker News Best",
    "slug": "hacker-news-best",
    "url": "https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/2026/05/ai-wearable-surveillance-countermeasures/687203/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Anthony \"Bingy\" Arillotta, a made man in the Genovese crime family, learned the hard way that everything he does is being recorded. In August 2003, he was summoned to a steak house in the Bronx, where he was stripped of his cellphone, beeper, and jewelry. He was then taken to a small bathroom and strip-searched for any electronic devices. Arillotta was given a bathrobe to wear for his meeting with the boss. However, the future may soon require all people to take similar precautions. Tech start-up Deveillance has developed a device called Spectre I, which claims to prevent others from recording individuals. Founded by Aida Baradari, a recent college graduate, the company is responding to the growing prevalence of AI-enabled recorders. These wearable devices, such as glasses, necklaces, and lapel pins, can be used as notetakers, personal assistants, or even therapists. Leading tech companies like Apple may soon have their own AI pins or pendants that act as constant eyes and ears for users. As surveillance technologies advance, so too do countermeasures. Historically, new surveillance technologies have spurred the development of new countermeasures, which in turn have led to more sophisticated surveillance. Early countermeasures included crude jammers that emitted loud white noise to obscure voices. More recently, companies have created ultrasonic jammers that emit inaudible frequencies to avoid detection by microphones. Even these high-tech jammers struggle against today's AI wearables, which use speech-recovery algorithms to strip away unwanted noise. These algorithms are complex, as they must separate speech from various background noises in crowded environments. Computer scientists have trained neural networks to recognize speech patterns and suppress non-speech sounds. Meanwhile, big tech companies are working on noise cancellation technologies for cellphone calls and podcast software. Defeating these algorithms may require new approaches, such as supplying devices with a \"junk\" version of the data they are trying to collect. Artists have even developed makeup and clothing that frustrate facial-recognition algorithms. As surveillance technologies continue to evolve, the need for effective countermeasures becomes increasingly urgent.",
  "summary": "https://archive.is/JxaZ7 Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49230477 Points: 187 # Comments: 150",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Hacker News",
        "title": "Everything You Do Is Being Recorded",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/09/everything-you-do-is-being-recorded",
        "published": "2026-08-09T11:30:48.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}