What is anti-surveillance drip and why is everyone wearing it now?

Do you ever feel like your phone is eavesdropping? You talk about going to Goa, and suddenly your feed is full of beachside Airbnb options and bikinis. It’s not a coincidence. It’s data. It’s facial recognition. It’s “smart” surveillance that’s crept into every corner of our lives—our malls, metros, coffee shops, even our fridge (if you’re fancy like that). And now, it’s showing up in our clothes.

Anti-surveillance clothing aka anti-surveillance drip isn’t science fiction. It’s fashion that helps you vanish. Not metaphorically. Literally. It’s the art of dressing in ways that confuse security cameras, throw off facial recognition systems, and block heat sensors—basically, make you a ghost in broad daylight. It’s what happens when streetwear gets tired of being watched.

What does an anti-surveillance drip look like?

Sometimes it’s a hoodie with reflective stripes placed in “wrong” spots—wrong for facial recognition, that is. Other times it’s glitchy prints that trick algorithms into seeing a scrambled mess instead of your face. There are sunglasses that bounce back thermal light. Fabrics that hide your body heat. Entire outfits built to outsmart surveillance tech. And increasingly, anti-surveillance drip is blending into everyday wear. It’s subtle. It’s smart. And it’s more interested in not being seen than being followed.

Who’s making these fits?

Globally, artists and designers, who saw this coming, are at the forefront of this. Berlin-based Adam Harvey’s Stealth Wear line, with anti-drone hijabs and heat-shielding cloaks, debuted nearly a decade ago. Italian brand Cap_able makes adversarial-patterned sweaters that confuse AI into thinking you’re a giraffe. And CHBL’s signal-jamming metallic coats block your phone from being tracked. So yes this is real, and it’s runway-ready.

On the other hand, Indian hasn’t yet entered the resistance chat. Not at scale. While there are underground conversations around privacy, surveillance, and bodily autonomy, we haven’t yet seen a wave of anti-surveillance brands or tech-fashion crossovers here. Most Indian designers are still working within the frame of aesthetics, function, and sustainability. Here, anti-surveillance fashion remains a niche, often academic subject, rather than a retail reality.

Who’s Wearing It?

Contrary to popular belief, anti-surveliiance fashion is not preferred to just hackers in Berlin or runway models in Milan. It is slowly being picked up by digital artists, activists, and a growing community of privacy-conscious creatives. Think musicians who want to control their image beyond the algorithm, and protestors who’d rather not be tagged by facial recognition. Designers who see clothing not just as self-expression, but self-protection. And yes, even regular people who are just... tired. Tired of the constant tracking, the cookies, the pings, the passive recording. 
 

Why does it matter?

Being watched is exhausting. We don’t always feel it, but it’s there—in every location tag, every walk past a mall security camera, every app that asks for “background permission.” Most people aren’t trying to hide from the law. They’re just trying to exist without being tracked like a UPS package. Surveillance isn’t neutral. Facial recognition tech has been repeatedly shown to be flawed—misidentifying people of colour, women, and non-binary individuals more than others. And it’s not just about facial data; thermal imaging and gait recognition are already in play in several countries. In that context, wearing an outfit that helps you disappear isn’t just fashion-forward. It’s self-defence.

Lead Image: Capable Design 

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