Concerning the current topics of surveillance and the possibility of being spied on, this project serves as a critical reflection of what an intrusion into a mobile device could mean.
Some people are taping over the webcam on their laptop – however, they tend to leave the mobile phone out. The fact, that those devices are internet-capable, have two cameras pointing in different directions and include a microphone as well, makes them very interesting and powerful tools if another party gains access inside them.
The project shows what’s possible in this case by working in two parts: interested volunteers were able to download an Android app from Google Play (now inactive) and activate the spying timeframe. During this phase, two images, one screenshot and a couple of seconds of audio are going to get taken randomly and uploaded to the second part: an online exhibition space in form of a web page. Recent captures and audio recordings are being displayed in a loop, until new data from other volunteers arrives.
The triptych hereby provides a multi-dimensional insight: the cameras show what's happening physically in front and back of the phone, while a screenshot dives into another level – leaves the tangible space – and displays what's happening virtually inside the device during the temporary intrusion. Additionally, the audio snippet creates a virtual sound space and supports the gained data in another level.
Update:
As of 25 May 2018 and due to GDPR, the project has been archived. All links are offline and this page serves as documentation of the work. It might get re-activated in the future.
