Going off the grid instantly

We love our mobile phones for many reasons, but unfortunately they are spying on us. Informations about our whereabouts and our user behaviour is recorded, collected and passed on to undisclosed third parties by many apps and even by some manufacturers.

This mobile phone pouch shields the phone from all signal connections: it can not send or receive data, nor can it be located. The fabric is made of conductive material (metallic fleece), so the closed bag acts like a Faradayan cage and shields everything in it from electromagnetic radiation outside, so disabling all signal connections. A small life-hack for all those who want to do without permanent tracking of their location, and are critical of permanent surveillance of their actions.

The worksheet explains more about the Faradayan cage and the different signal connections your phone is using to communicate. You also find where to buy the metallic fleece in Switzerland.

Inventing other closures:
developed by students

This worksheet was developed from a workshop called “Kill your Phone” by artist Aram Bartholl. We offered it as a permanent hands-on activity during the exhibition “Poetics and Politics of Data”, in 2015.