How To Create A Faraday Cage To Avoid Government Surveillance

Edward Snowden has been all over the news lately, and it’s raised all kinds of new concerns about government surveillance and privacy. If you thought the government was invading your privacy without your knowledge, would you go so far as to make a Faraday cage? According to Wikipedia, a Faraday cage is an enclosure that blocks external static and non-static electric fields. Would you put your smartphone in a Faraday cage to avoid surveillance?

Some people might think it’s a bit over the top to take such measures just to avoid a breach in privacy. It’s a personal decision. I can see how in some cases, it would be a big deal. I suppose it depends on how sensitive the information is that you are sharing. In this recent NYTimes article, it’s reported that Edward Snowden, the former National Security Agency contractor who leaked documents about American surveillance operations all over the world, asked some dinner companions in Hong Kong to put their smartphones in the refrigerator since it acts as a Faraday cage.

Adam Harvey, a counter surveillance designer, stepped forward to say that using a cocktail shaker is a much better alternative. Michael Colombo from MAKE magazine decided to put both of these options to the test. He first tried using his refrigerator as a Faraday cage, and then he tried the cocktail shaker. I don’t want to spoil the video below, but I will tell you that one works and one doesn’t work.

So if you are concerned that the government, your high tech parents, your psycho ex-girlfriend or even your government is monitoring you without your knowledge, now you’ll have a way to squash them when you need a little privacy. This is pretty easy, and you don’t even have to actually “make” it. All you have to do is have it handy when you need it.