– SPOILERS BELOW –
On our computers we install antivirus software, use various passwords, and obscure our webcams so that our privacy is maintained.
But what about our mobile phones? Most people would agree their phones are far more intimate devices than their PC, harbouring our most personal information. Yet, according to a report by Duo Statistics, 34% of Android users don’t use a screen-lock password, 32% don’t update their firmware, and around 5% of phones are hacked by their user (jailbroken or rooted), opening them up to severe security threats.
Beyond the digital concerns are the physical ones. In The Netherlands alone, 300 phones a stolen each week. Earlier this year, one of those phones belonged to emerging Dutch filmmaker Anthony van der Meer. Though he had general security settings in place, the sheer volume of information on van der Meer, his family, friends, and associates that thief now had access to was still deeply troubling.
Curious to discover what exactly happens to the thousands of phones stolen annually in his country alone, van der Meer hatched a plan: he would plant spyware in a new phone’s operating system, then leave it sitting in his bag, exposed in such a way that any keen crook could snatch it and walk away. When it was eventually stolen, the spyware would give him complete access to the device’s features – video, audio recordings, location tracking etc. – so that he could track how the phone was used by the pickpocket?
After five days, the phone was stolen (many would-be criminals consider taking it over that time, but restrain themselves for one reason or another), and several days later, van der Meer discovers something surprising: the man now using it is the very man who stole it! Most phones are broken down and sold for parts in Eastern Europe, but here the thief was brazenly using the device as his own. All of van der Meer’s applications and multimedia remained on the phone, but it was the crook who, unknowingly, had the most cause for concern.
Before long, van der Meer had enough information to pinpoint the man’s home, where he was spending his days, who he talks to, even his pornographic habits. One moment which shows the thief standing naked, unaware that the phone he’s holding is recording him, serves as a disturbing and potent reminder of how exposed technology often leaves us.
In the process of documenting the thief’s activity, van der Meer starts to became empathetic towards him. He develops an image of this man in his mind, fills in the gaps of his personality, and even pays for the pickpocket’s phone credit when he realises his spying is costing the thief extra in data fees.
That image crumbles the moment van der Meer sees the man in person as he prepares to film outside his home. There’s no interaction between the pair; it’s not necessary. In an instant, the director realises he has been presumptuous, and has put himself in a dangerous situation.
A worrying parallel is drawn, rather subconsciously, between this act of espionage and the dangers of social media. van der Meer lets snapshots of the criminal’s life convince him that the man is deserving of sympathy. He got too attached, and realised his mistake too late.
Admit it: if you haven’t been found guilty of that, you know someone who has.
In 2016, we’ve covered several films that tie into discussions regarding modern technology – most notably, the first short written by an Artificial Intelligence – but none are so effective at addressing the murky morals that define it in the eyes of many. van der Meer essentially entraps the thief, and gains the power to expose him entirely as a result. He doesn’t, but does that make it ok? Where do we draw the line between punishing the thief and invading his privacy?
van der Meer hopes the film will make viewers more aware about how easily mobile phones and similar devices can be hacked. Undoubtedly, that is the most important thing to take away from Find My Phone.