If “watermark” sounds too innocent, maybe that’s the point: The case for renaming hidden tracking signals baked into images, audio, and text to “spymarks”. (Brandon Thomas)
- Brandon Thomas argues that "watermark" is too neutral a term for hidden tracking signals embedded in images, audio, and text without user knowledge or consent, and proposes "spymark" as a more accurate replacement.
- Google's SynthID can embed a 136-bit payload in a 512x512 image, enough to store a database ID linked to your name, IP address, and political affiliation. Similar systems are being built by OpenAI and others.
- Unlike editable EXIF or ID3 metadata, spymarks survive stripping and some edits, making them invisible and persistent, which is a real concern for journalists, sources, and anyone sharing sensitive content.
