Footfall Amulets

Amulets protect their bearer from the evil eye of footfall analytics and other technics of the quantified gaze. They are designed to create disturbances in the wireless-based people-counting systems that are diffused in shopping streets, malls, airports, train stations across Europe. Inside the amulet there is a microchip and a battery. The microchip is similar to the part of a smartphone that connects to wifi. Except, instead of one unique identifying number that phones emit to communicate their identity to familiar networks, the amulet runs a code that generates thousands of (mis)identifying numbers every minute. Most amulets have been created together with others in amulet making workshops. Some were made to be part of the WAB publication.

Amulets look back at the crystal ball.

• To build amulets yourself, you can find a short construction manual here and a code repository at https://0xacab.org/kippleface/footfall-amulets.
• You can also contact us at lookingback@riseup.net to help organise an amulet-making workshop with your friends.