About Obscure Patent Dangers

Obscure Patent Dangers examines patents, surveillance systems and technologies that could cost ordinary people their privacy, autonomy, money, work or ownership. We ask what a system can do, who controls it and what happens when its capabilities are turned on people.

Our case files put the practical concern first and keep the supporting documents close. A patent, a working prototype and a system used on people tell different stories. We identify which story the evidence supports, and distinguish documented facts from our analysis of the risks.

Our outlook is skeptical. A useful surveillance capability gives someone an incentive to use it. We examine those incentives and the consequences without presenting a plausible abuse as an established event.

OPD is an independent publication run by Jim D. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by or operated by Reddit or the moderators of r/ObscurePatentDangers.

Start with a case file

Can Wi-Fi Really See You Through Walls? How wireless signals become information about movement inside a home.

Your Car’s Driving Data Can Reach the Insurance Industry The FTC’s GM and OnStar case, and the restrictions that followed.

Read our Methodology for the evidence standards behind each file. Our Corrections page explains how to challenge a claim, and Submit a File explains how to suggest a patent, product or documented deployment.

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