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ScienceGlobal issues

Turning Wi‑Fi routers into surveillance tools

May 1, 2026

Walk past a cafe's Wi-Fi signal — and you're identified, no phone needed. Soon, radio signals could identify people much like fingerprints. Who will control this tech?

https://p.dw.com/p/5D8d8

Soon, people could be identified using Wi-Fi signals alone — even without carrying a smartphone or device.

Research shows radio waves can detect bodies, track movement through walls and potentially distinguish individuals, similar to a fingerprint. The technology could help locate disaster survivors or support health care monitoring, but it also raises urgent concerns about privacy, consent and invisible surveillance.

We also examine ambitious Mars colonization plans promoted by Elon Musk and other tech billionaires. Experts warn these visions are shaped by ideologies like transhumanism and longtermism, often downplaying technical, social and ethical limits.

Finally, a German school project shows how media literacy and democratic education empower young people in a digital, data driven world.

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