“We’re now approaching the technological threshold where the little guys can do it to the big guys.”

In a recent story for the New York Times, tech reporter Kashmir Hill profiled activists who use facial recognition to identify police officers who cover their badges or name tags during protests. As technologist Andrew Maximov described, it’s a way for the “little guys” to turn the tables on the authorities.

“It’s not just the loss of anonymity. It’s the threat of infamy,” he said.