Bill Swearingen has spent over a year developing computer-generated patterns that thwart surveillance cameras, allowing people to evade detection. His noRecognition project presents a new way to opt-out of algorithmic surveillance.

In recent years, surveillance technology has advanced significantly, enabling the tracking of vehicles and faces with varying degrees of success. Swearingen’s patterns do not obstruct cameras from recording; instead, they scramble the camera's ability to identify objects or people, making them undetectable by most algorithms.

During a demonstration at Def Con, Swearingen printed his pattern on a 2009 Toyota Yaris and successfully evaded detection by a Flock camera. His model has now defeated 11 open-source detection algorithms, with new ones generated every minute. The next step is to make these patterns available to the public through merchandise like T-shirts and hoodies.

Swearingen argues that privacy is a fundamental right and believes his project can empower individuals to protect their anonymity in public spaces. However, critics might question whether such tools could be more harmful than helpful, enabling those who wish to evade law enforcement or commit illegal activities.