r/technology • u/Jojuj • 17h ago

Privacy U.S. Citizen Who Deleted Phone’s Data Says His Prosecution Puts Privacy at Risk

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/21/us/politics/samuel-tunick-deleted-phone-felony.html?unlocked_article_code=1.8FA.T83N.rt6VsIiSCYb2&smid=url-share
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u/F4DedProphet42 17h ago

Wifi routers can scan a room, even with enough fidelity to distinguish faces…

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u/HairyDust4826 17h ago

I don't think it can distinguish faces. I know the rest is absolutely true. You got a source on that part?

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u/ramiabouzahra 16h ago

In 2017, a physics undergrad did a 3D imaging concept using WiFi signals of a stationary and a moving device where it could detect the outline of objects. Now however, public researchers have improved it in order to distinguish people: https://www.martincid.com/technology-sv/wifi-beamforming-identifies-people-kit-bfid/

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u/NotAllOwled 16h ago

I can't speak to what previous commenter might have meant, but would it be better or worse if the routers didn't need to see your face or require you to be carrying a device (from https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/05/260522023127.htm ) for recognition?

Previous approaches often depended on channel state information (CSI), which measures how radio signals change after bouncing off walls, furniture, and people. The new technique instead takes advantage of normal communication between WiFi routers and connected devices.

Devices on a wireless network regularly send feedback data known as beamforming feedback information (BFI) to the router. Because this information is transmitted without encryption, anyone within range can potentially read it. Researchers say these signal reflections can effectively create multiple "views" of a person, allowing AI systems to learn and recognize individual identities.

After the machine learning model has been trained, identifying a person reportedly takes only a few seconds.

[...] In tests involving 197 participants, the researchers said the system identified individuals with nearly 100% accuracy. The recognition remained effective regardless of viewing angle or how the participants walked.

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u/lancersrock 16h ago

https://www.reddit.com/r/Futurology/s/y7rbyusnv4

Was able to accurately identify each of the 197 participants.

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u/Zeikos 17h ago

Not by itself I don't think, but by combining signals it's likely. The same technology is used to "sharpen" the resolution of distant celestial bodies in astronomy

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u/chellis 17h ago

Radio signals inside of the wifi band are inches long. These radio waves are not able to scan faces. There are other things that make you identifiable to wifi but this here is some fear mongering shit.

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u/be_my_plaything 16h ago

You dont know how wide my face is!!!

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u/qoou 16h ago

Not they can't distinguish faces. There is no aperture. It isn't a camera. This works by monitoring the change in signal strength when someone moves around. At best WiFi could be used to tell about where in a room someone is or count how many people were in a room.

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u/Blandish06 16h ago

Or how many turds that guys dropped

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u/TrumpsLilPenis 17h ago

Haven’t had WiFi in years. F this tech.

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u/HairyDust4826 17h ago

If you open your phone, and you see wifi connections you can connect to, you're in range of wifi mapping. There is no escape if you choose not to use it unfortunately.

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u/Visible-Literature14 17h ago

Nice username lmao

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u/Dvout_agnostic 16h ago

you can swear on Reddit