Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Apple Store Artist Raided By Secret Service

Posted by timothy on from the innocent-whistling-at-very-high-pitch dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Artist Kyle McDonald wanted to create something that captured people's expressions as they stared at computers. So the 25-year-old artist installed a program on computers in two New York Apple Store locations that would automatically take a photo every minute of whoever was standing in front of the computer. McDonald then uploaded the photos to his Tumblr blog, 'People Staring at Computers,' made a video with the photographs, and set up 'an exhibition' at the Apple stores to show what he had found. Within days, the Secret Service, which investigates computer crimes, had raided McDonald's house, seizing his two laptops, two flash drives and iPod."

5 of 376 comments (clear)

  1. Double standards by Joce640k · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Where were they when that school in Merion installed spycam software on all the pupil's laptops to record them in their dormrooms?

    --
    No sig today...
    1. Re:Double standards by qwertyatwork · · Score: 5, Interesting

      No I didn't read the article before posting. +1 slashdot points. The reason it was the secret service was probably due to jurisdiction. I had my house raided by the secret service in 1988 when I was phreaking calling cards. I had a lawyer tell me the reason it was the secret service was because the calling cards put it in their jurisdiction. I can't remember the exact reason, but something along the lines of calling cards are a promise of pay, or some other legal mumbo jumbo.

    2. Re:Double standards by AngryDeuce · · Score: 5, Informative

      You can, but according to one article (possibly this one, I didn't read it) they wipe every computer in the store nightly.

      Complete BS. They'll wipe and reinstall whenever someone borks a display model (rare, but it happens), and they keep software updated for the most part, but they don't do full wipes every night. [source: many friends working in the Apple Store]

  2. EFF? by lyinhart · · Score: 5, Insightful

    So he's consulting the EFF (not working as a consultant for them like someone else though). I'd be very disappointed at the EFF if they side with this guy. He installed software that most of the passerbys didn't know about. The software was used to take pictures of them, most of whom did not give their explicit permission. And he published the pictures on an Internet site for the whole world to see. Given how the EFF takes the bigs to task for their written license agreements and violations of privacy, taking this guy's side would make no sense.

    --
    Freedom is drinking a beer in the park when you're supposed to be at work.
  3. Idiot artist by Lillebo · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Lol, just watched the video montage he did of the stunt. Some minutes into the video, after showing a couple of hundred faces, he ponders "Would people look different if I showed them how the computer sees them?" - or in other words "Would people react differently if I showed them I was taking pictures of them?"

    As predicted - most did. Next he says "Most just hit escape".

    Couldn't help but laugh at his naivety. Of course people would hit escape - they don't want their picture taken you twat!