Ongoing Resource to Opt Out

Facial Recognition and Biometric Theft opt out, surveillance, and consent.

[I sent this out a while back, but with the Real ID push and ramping up of surveillance and machines in cities, borders, and airports, I am sending this updated resource out again.]

keepbeyond.com/optout

The reason I always opt out of biometric theft and facial recognition at borders, flight boarding, checkpoints, parks, concerts, and other venues is that I want to always be asked for my consent every time when my data is being taken from me.

We are rapidly headed toward a world where we will not even be given the option to opt out. In addition, our digital twins, or the digital representation of our physical selves, is quickly becoming an identification card itself.

Currently, in the U.S., you are usually implicitly opted into biometric theft, and your consent is assumed. Meaning, that if you do nothing and go along with it, you are opted in. Assumed consent is not consent. It is deliberate misdirection and deception.

Consent should never be assumed whether it is physically interacting with someone you have just met, using pronouns, or having your biometric data taken from you.

“Touchless ID,” “face matching,” “ID match,” “friction-free.” These are all phrases used by oppressors, Big Tech, capitalists, surveillance entities, and Empire to make it seem easy and welcoming when they want your data, but it becomes cumbersome, hostile, and even adversarial when you decide that you do not want to give them your data. Deceptive by design.

They pitch the experience as frictionless for us, but it is, in fact, that the taking of our data is frictionless for them.

And unfortunately, they are observing that most people go along with giving up their biometrics without any objection.

People are being intimidated, rushed, or are not being informed of their options at these checkpoints. And because the majority of people are participating, I predict very soon we will not even have the option to opt out at all. In fact, this is on the roadmap for U.S. borders and checkpoints within the year.

It has been almost 10 years since I have been opting out of biometric theft at airports. Over the years, I have experienced agents lying and saying it isn’t possible, agents telling me they have no idea what I’m talking about, intimidation, and deliberate delay tactics.

I set a website set up with ongoing resources on AI, artistic authorship protections, biometric theft, facial recognition, surveillance, consent culture, and opting out. It is available here, and I update it as I get more information on the rapidly adversarial biometric theft landscape.

Always question biometric gathering. ALWAYS.

When in a biometric theft situation, or any scenario for that matter, I always consider the risks and outcomes. If you are of any identity that cis, white, het, ableist, colonial culture does not want to exist, higher risk is place on you. If you are at less risk, this is a great opportunity to be a co-conspirator.

This is the time when we want to show them friction. If you are an identity with more privilege, opt out on behalf of those who cannot. Make it harder for entities to take your data.

Our digital selves will be our identities.

We should be asked for our consent every single time. Consent should not be assumed. We should not be opted in by default. We should not have to fight to opt out of our data being taken from us.

Opt out.

Opt out.

Opt out.