If you’ve ever been the victim of phone theft, you’ve probably wondered at one point or another who now has your phone, what they’re doing with it, how much they earned from selling it, how much they paid for buying stolen goods, etc. One Dutch filmmaker decided to take his curiosity one step further, and the result is a 22-minute short documentary entitled Find my Phone. It gives us a glimpse into one such thief and also brings up issues of privacy and also the futility of some apps to actually protect your information if your phone gets lost.
Anthony van der Meer’s first phone got stolen, and afterwards, he thought of creating an elaborate scheme related to this as a subject of his documentary. He deliberately let another phone of his, but this time, he installed a modified version of the app Cerebrus, which basically lets you still control your phone remotely, even if the device is already wiped. The only way for this “secret app” to be deleted is if you reinstall or upgrade the phone’s operating system.
Because of this app, der Meer was able to track the location, access the “new” user’s photos and files, take pictures of whoever has the phone now, and even record audio when they’re using it to make calls. Basically, you get to see a glimpse into the life of another person, in this case, the actual thief, Well, at least for a couple of weeks because you know, they’ll eventually sell it.
The short film is pretty fascinating, as you somehow get a look into a criminal’s digital life. At the same time, it also brings up issues that an app like Cerebrus can actually cause in terms of privacy and security. We won’t give away the ending of course, so get on it and watch this interesting short film.
“Find My Phone” is an ad for the Cerberus app.
Fixed that Title for You.