Ghòstati!
Experiments in adversarial disguise to deceive facial recognition
The expansion of facial recognition in public and private spaces represents a pervasive threat to democratic liberties, normalizing institutional control and turning our physical traits into extractable commodities.
Ghòstati!, an initiative of NINA’s Universal Union, focuses on physical and visual self-defense against mass biometric surveillance. By utilizing adversarial makeup, custom pattern patches, and fashion-tech fabrics, we strategically alter key facial features to make faces unreadable to computer vision systems. The initiative runs training meetups and anonymous mapping of local surveillance zones to help citizens escape predatory biometric capture.
We advocate for a unified European ban on mass biometric monitoring. Following the first workshops in Milan and Rome, NINA coordinates the workshop network and confidential reporting. The initiative is called Ghòstati! in both Italian and English.
Take part
Test the laboratory, organise a workshop or share what you know about biometric surveillance:
- Ghòstati! Web App : An open-source, local-processing tool to live-test the effectiveness of your adversarial makeup via webcam - (know more about the technology .
- Report biometric surveillance : Five reporting routes, security guidance and confidential submission channels managed by NINA.
- Organise a Ghòstati! workshop : A practical guide, photographs and the facilitators’ Signal group.
- SARI Enterprise Report by Privacy Network : An investigative report on Italian automated public surveillance tools.
- Reclaim Your Face Campaign : The European citizens’ initiative advocating for a ban on mass biometric surveillance.