{"id":253634,"date":"2026-05-23T16:48:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-23T20:48:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news-you-need.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/23\/privacy-any-wi-fi-can-now-identify-you-with-near-perfect-accuracy\/"},"modified":"2026-05-23T17:05:12","modified_gmt":"2026-05-23T21:05:12","slug":"privacy-any-wi-fi-can-now-identify-you-with-near-perfect-accuracy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news-you-need.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/23\/privacy-any-wi-fi-can-now-identify-you-with-near-perfect-accuracy\/","title":{"rendered":"Privacy: Any Wi-Fi can now identify you with near perfect accuracy"},"content":{"rendered":"

Privacy: Any Wi-Fi can now identify you with near perfect accuracy<\/a><\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.digitaljournal.com\/tech-science\/privacy-any-wi-fi-can-now-identify-you-with-near-perfect-accuracy\/article<\/a><\/p>\n

Publish Date: 2026-05-23 16:48:00<\/a><\/p>\n

Source Domain: www.digitaljournal.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Image: \u00a9 PhotoTelegram<\/p>\n

Researchers report how ordinary Wi-Fi routers may soon be able to secretly recognize and track people with near-perfect accuracy. Is this something of societal benefit or a further extension of state surveillance of its citizens?<\/p>\n

Scientists at the Karlsruher Institut f\u00fcr Technologie\u00a0(Germany) have demonstrated a new form of surveillance: identifying people using nothing more than ordinary Wi-Fi signals.<\/p>\n

By analysing how radio waves bounce around a room, researchers can effectively \u201csee\u201d and recognise individuals. This is even when they are not carrying a device and even when their phone is turned off.<\/p>\n

The process<\/strong><\/h2>\n

By observing the propagation of radio waves, researchers can create an image of the surroundings and of persons who are present.<\/p>\n

This process works similar to a normal camera, the difference being that radio waves, instead of light waves, are used for the recognition.<\/p>\n

Devices on a wireless network regularly send feedback data known as beamforming feedback information (BFI) to the router. Since this information is transmitted without encryption, anyone within range can potentially read it.<\/p>\n

The researchers say these signal reflections can effectively create multiple \u201cviews\u201d of a person, allowing AI systems to learn and recognise individual identities.<\/p>\n

How this technology works in practice<\/h2>\n

A device (like a radar, Wi\u2011Fi transmitter, or specialised sensor) sends out radio frequency (RF) waves<\/strong> into an environment.<\/h4>\n

The waves spread out through walls, furniture, and air. Unlike visible light, radio waves can penetrate many materials.<\/p>\n

When radio waves encounter objects, they:<\/h4>\n