#86 How to Protect Your Protest Communications from Surveillance

Skill Level: 🐾🐾🐾 Advanced Organizer

Why This Matters

When militarized police or federal agents move in, they don’t just bring batons and tear gas — they bring surveillance tech. From cell tower spoofers to social media monitoring, they’ll track who you’re talking to, where you’re going, and what you’re planning. If you’re organizing protests, mutual aid, or community defense, you need to make sure your communication lines aren’t wide open for the regime to read like a grocery list.

Example of Importance

In multiple cities, including Portland in 2020 and Atlanta in 2023, federal and local law enforcement used “stingray” devices to scoop up cell phone data from protest zones. Messages, call logs, and even location data were collected without protesters realizing it. That data was then used to build dossiers, track leaders, and coordinate arrests.

Step-by-Step Resistance Plan

1. Use Encrypted Messaging Apps
   • Primary: Signal, Session, or Element (Matrix).
   • Avoid SMS, Facebook Messenger, and unencrypted email for anything sensitive.
2. Turn Off Location Tracking
   • Disable GPS when not actively navigating.
   • Keep your phone in a Faraday pouch in high-risk areas to block tracking entirely.
3. Separate Your Protest Device
   • Use a cheap “burner” phone with no personal accounts tied to your real name.
   • Keep personal and activism devices completely separate — no cross-login.
4. Limit Group Sizes in Chat
   • Large group chats are vulnerable. Organize into smaller cells with minimal overlap.
   • Use disappearing messages and verify contacts before adding anyone.
5. Secure Your Accounts
   • Enable two-factor authentication (preferably via an authenticator app, not SMS).
   • Regularly change passwords and avoid reusing them.
6. Beware of Metadata
   • Even if messages are encrypted, metadata (who you contacted and when) can still be tracked.
   • Rotate communication times and avoid predictable patterns.
7. Practice OPSEC in Person Too
   • Phones can be compromised even when “off.” Leave them outside of sensitive meetings or in Faraday bags.
   • Keep written notes minimal and destroy them after use.

Sources

• EFF – Surveillance Self-Defense
• Privacy International – Stingray Surveillance
• Signal – Official Site

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