What is Fear Filter?
Fear filter is a stream of user created photographs that visualise the UK Terror Threat Level.
How does it work?
The Fear Filter app and web app uses photo filters combined with data from MI5 to make the UK Terror Threat Level visible on your photos.
The more severe the Threat Level the more that the subject of the photograph is redacted and obscured. The greater the threat the less you see of the photo.
Anyone can contribute photos to the photostream. Take a photo using the Fear Filter app and post it to the photostream. The app will step you through the process.
Why did you make Fear Filter?
Fear Filter reformulates the relationship between photography and terrorism.
Along with many of the security measures introduced since before the beginning of the War on Terror the symbolic presence and visibility of the Terror Threat Level seems more important than whether it actually improves security. It might be thought of as a form of Security Theatre, where the illusion of security far outweighs the effect in increasing safety or reducing the risk of a terrorist attack.
Fear Filter visualises the pervasive sense that the Terror Threat Level is everywhere, all the time, in real time.
Why should I use Fear Filter?
Fear Filter is a participatory artwork. The photo stream is a collection of all the photos created and shared via the Fear Filter app.
We hope you will share your photos and take part!
Will the photo stream on the Fear Filter web site include my photos if I share them?
Yes. If you share photos directly from the app they are also shared to the public photo stream here.
If you want to use the app but not share the photos you can save them to your phone / tablet as you would with any photo app.
Who owns the photos on the photo stream?
You own your photos, but if you share them via the app you give us permission to display them (on the photo stream and in exhibitions). We hope you will want your photos shared and exhibited.
You can include information about the photo and yourself when you share them from the app. Any information you include will be displayed with the photo.
Does Fear Filter save or use my data?
Only information that each photo is voluntarily tagged with is saved. The website does not use any cookies.
The Fear Filter photo stream and app does not automatically save or share any other data from users.
The photos you produce are stamped with generic, anonymous information about your device and location on the photos. You can manage this in settings.
Is Fear Filter affiliated to the UK security agencies?
No, Fear Filter is an independently produced project and artwork that uses publicly available information about the UK Terror Threat Level.
Who made Fear Filter?
Rod Dickinson made Fear Filter in 2017.
Fear Filter is built on irational.org servers with tracking.js
You can read about Rod’s other art works at: http://www.roddickinson.net