The FBI issued an RFI on November 21, 2025, seeking AI-powered drones with facial recognition, license plate readers, and weapon detection [1]. ICE agents have been documented pointing phones running Mobile Fortify at protesters' faces [2]. Your local police likely has a Stingray.
They're watching. Recording. Building profiles.
You still have the right to protest. Here's how to use it without feeding the surveillance machine.
## The Threat Landscape (November 2025)
What you're up against:
- **Aerial surveillance** - FBI seeks drones with real-time facial recognition, minimum Technology Readiness Level 7 [3]
- **Mobile scanning** - ICE's Mobile Fortify app, videos show agents using it at protests [4]
- **Stingrays** - Cell-site simulators forcing 2G downgrades for interception
- **Facial recognition** - Clearview AI's 30+ billion image database, $9.2M ICE contract [5]
- **Social media monitoring** - ICE's new social media hub targeting Facebook, WhatsApp, TikTok [6]
- **License plate readers** - Flock Safety network accessible to ICE without formal contract [7]
- **Behavioral analytics** - AI systems detecting "perimeter ingress/egress" patterns [8]
They're not just watching the protest. They're watching you get there, participate, and go home.
## Before You Leave: Preparation
### Digital Amputation
**Leave at home:**
- Your real phone (seriously)
- Work devices
- Anything with your real name
- Fitness trackers
- Smart watches
- Bluetooth headphones
Every wireless signal is a tracking beacon.
### Burner Phone Setup
**Get a protest phone:**
1. Buy with cash at a different store than usual
2. Never turn on at home
3. Never log into personal accounts
4. Use prepaid SIM (cash only)
5. Install Signal before the protest
6. Factory reset after
**Critical:** Never have both phones on at the same time. That correlation destroys anonymity.
### Physical Preparation
**Clothing choices:**
- Generic brands (no unique logos)
- Common colors (black, gray, navy)
- Full coverage (long sleeves, pants)
- Layer for quick appearance changes
- Comfortable shoes (you might need to move)
**Face covering strategy:**
- Medical masks are normalized now. Use it.
- Sunglasses plus mask breaks most facial recognition
- Hat with brim shields from aerial cameras
- Change appearance between arrival and departure
### Documentation Prep
**Bring:**
- Emergency contact (written, not digital)
- Medical information (allergies, conditions)
- Lawyer's number (written on arm in Sharpie)
- Cash for bail/transport
- Water and snacks
**Don't bring:**
- ID unless legally required
- Credit cards
- Work badge
- Anything with your address
## Getting There: Transit Security
### Never Drive Your Car
License plate readers are everywhere:
- Every cop car
- Fixed cameras on roads
- Private cameras (Flock, Vigilant)
- Parking garages
Your car = your identity. Take transit or get dropped off blocks away.
### Public Transit Tactics
**Metro/Bus:**
- Pay cash if possible
- Don't use transit cards linked to you
- Enter/exit at different stations
- Mix transit methods
**Rideshare = Surveillance**
Don't. They track everything and share with law enforcement.
### Walking Routes
- Approach from multiple directions (if in a group)
- Avoid direct routes
- Use busy public areas
- Change appearance mid-route
- Never gather at staging points
## At the Protest: Active Countermeasures
### Phone Discipline
**Airplane mode isn't enough.** Your phone still pings towers.
**Better:** Faraday bag or aluminum foil wrap (yes, really)
**Best:** Phone stays off until needed
**If you must communicate:**
- Signal disappearing messages (set to 1 hour)
- Never SMS
- No phone calls
- No social media
- No photos with faces
### Drone Defense
**FBI's new toys can see you from 400 feet. Counter them:**
- Stay in crowds (harder to isolate individuals)
- Use umbrellas (blocks aerial view)
- Stand under trees/scaffolding
- Change position frequently
- Never look up (your face becomes visible)
### Ground-Level Surveillance
**Against facial recognition:**
- Stay in motion
- Avoid chokepoints
- Keep mask up
- Change appearance hourly
- Use makeup to break face geometry
**Against mobile scanners:**
- Watch for cops pointing phones
- Turn away from any cameras
- Alert others to scanning activity
- Document badge numbers (discreetly)
### Behavioral Camouflage
**Don't:**
- Stand alone
- Make unique gestures
- Wear unique clothing
- Use unique signs
- Act as "leader"
**Do:**
- Blend with crowd
- Mirror others' behavior
- Stay in groups of 3-5
- Rotate positions
- Look boring
## Communication Security
### The Signal Protocol
1. Install Signal before protest
2. Enable disappearing messages (1 hour max)
3. Turn off read receipts
4. Disable typing indicators
5. Use group chats sparingly
6. Never use SMS fallback
### Code Words and Channels
**Establish beforehand:**
- Dispersal signal
- Arrest warning
- Medical emergency code
- Regroup location
- Bail coordination
**Never discuss:**
- Real names
- Addresses
- Future actions
- Other protesters
- Illegal activity
### Radio Discipline
If using radios:
- Assume monitored
- No names
- No locations
- Short transmissions
- Code words only
## Police Interaction Protocol
### If Approached
**Say nothing except:**
- "I'm exercising my First Amendment rights"
- "Am I free to go?"
- "I don't consent to searches"
- "I want a lawyer"
**Never:**
- Explain yourself
- Argue
- Provide ID unless legally required
- Unlock devices
- Consent to anything
### If Arrested
1. Go limp (don't resist)
2. Say "I invoke my right to remain silent"
3. Don't talk to cellmates
4. Don't sign anything
5. Lawyer up immediately
**They will:**
- Take your photo
- Take fingerprints
- Search your person
- Try to unlock your phone
- Try to get you talking
**Give them nothing else.**
## After Action: Cleanup
### Digital Sanitization
**Immediately:**
1. Turn off burner phone
2. Remove battery if possible
3. Factory reset when safe
4. Never use that SIM again
5. Delete all protest-related apps
**Within 24 hours:**
- Check arrest databases
- Search your name/photo online
- Monitor social media for your image
- Document any injuries
- Save any evidence needed
### Physical Security
**Change everything:**
- Clothes
- Route home
- Appearance
- Routine for a few days
**Destroy:**
- Protest clothes (if identifiable)
- Signs/materials
- Burner phone
- Any notes
### Legal Preparation
**If identified:**
- Contact a lawyer immediately
- Document everything
- Save all communications
- Don't talk to anyone about it
- Prepare for potential charges
**Organizations that help:**
- National Lawyers Guild: nlg.org
- ACLU: aclu.org
- Local legal observers
## Advanced Techniques
### Counter-Surveillance
**Spot the watchers:**
- Unmarked vans with antennas
- People filming constantly
- Same faces at multiple protests
- Drones circling
- Unusual police positions
**Document them:**
- Note times/locations
- Photograph equipment (not faces)
- Share with legal observers
- Track patterns
### Mesh Networks
When cell towers are jammed:
- Bridgefy (Bluetooth mesh)
- Briar (Tor-based)
- FireChat (discontinued but forks exist)
Setup before protest. Test thoroughly.
### IMSI Catcher Detection
Apps that might detect Stingrays:
- SnoopSnitch (Android)
- Cell Spy Catcher (limited)
- Tower location monitoring
Not reliable but better than nothing.
## The Reality Check
You can't be invisible. Not anymore. Every precaution might still fail.
But you can:
- Raise the cost of surveillance
- Protect others through good practices
- Exercise your rights despite oppression
- Make mass surveillance harder
## If You Do One Thing
**Get a burner phone.** Everything else is secondary.
Your personal phone is a surveillance device. It will betray you. Leave it at home.
## The Risk Gradient
### Low Risk Actions
- Peaceful permitted protests
- Daytime events
- Public spaces
- Legal observer present
**Still need:** Burner phone, face covering, cash transit
### Medium Risk Actions
- Unpermitted protests
- Civil disobedience
- Night protests
- Counter-protests
**Add:** Faraday bag, legal contact, bail money, appearance changes
### High Risk Actions
- Direct action
- High-conflict protests
- Targeted surveillance likely
**Maximum precautions:** All measures, legal team on standby, safe houses planned
## Know Your Rights
**You have the right to:**
- Protest peacefully
- Film police
- Remain silent
- Refuse searches
- Leave unless detained
**You don't have to:**
- Provide ID (varies by state)
- Answer questions
- Unlock devices
- Consent to anything
- Help investigation
## Resources
**Legal Support:**
- National Lawyers Guild: 212-679-5100
- ACLU Hotline: Check local chapter
- Know Your Rights: nlg.org/know-your-rights
**Secure Communications:**
- Signal: signal.org
- Tor Browser: torproject.org
- Tails OS: tails.boum.org
**Counter-Surveillance:**
- EFF Surveillance Self-Defense: ssd.eff.org
- Privacy Guides: privacyguides.org
The state wants you scared to protest. They want the surveillance visible. The threat alone is meant to silence you.
Don't let it work.
Your First Amendment right exists specifically for times like these. Use it. Protect it. Fight for it.
Just be smart about how you do it.
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## References
[1] "FBI Seeks AI-Powered Surveillance Drones With Facial Recognition," The Intercept, November 21, 2025
[2] "Rights Organizations Demand Halt to Mobile Fortify," EFF, November 2025
[3] FBI RFI on AI/ML for Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Federal Business Opportunities, November 21, 2025
[4] "Videos online show ICE agents aiming phones at protesters," Civil Rights Coalition Letter to DHS, November 2025
[5] ICE-Clearview AI Contract Award, September 5, 2025, Contract #70CDCR25CR0000007
[6] "ICE informs vendors of social media monitoring hub plans," October 2025
[7] "ICE agents gain access to Flock Safety ALPR network," TechCrunch, September 2025
[8] FBI RFI Technical Requirements, Perimeter Detection Systems, November 2025