Not too long ago, film student Anthony van der Meer was lunching in Amsterdam, when his iPhone suddenly disappeared. He reported the smartphone stolen, but to no avail. The thief had already disposed of the SIM card and disconnected the device from the internet. It was gone.
According to statistics, Dutch police registers nearly 300 smartphone thefts on average each week – and most of these devices never turn up.
Curious who steals these phones and where they eventually end up, van der Meer decided to try and get his phone swiped again – but this time around the film student pre-loaded the device with spyware so he could keep tabs on the thief and get to know him up close and personal.
Van der Meer installed anti-theft app Cerberus, which would give him access not only to the location of the device, but also to its contents and features. This means he could not only retrieve any file stored the phone, but also use its camera and microphone to surreptitiously spy on the bandit.
After four days of desperately trying to get his phone stolen again, someone finally took the bait and snatched the decoy smartphone.
The 💜 of EU tech
The latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol' founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It's free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now!
Over the next two weeks, the film student secretly followed the thief as he wandered around Amsterdam with his lifted phone, documenting his each and every move – and eventually turning it into a documentary.
Find my Phone is the final outcome. Equally thrilling and disturbing, this short docufilm is an intimate exploration of the mind and life of a thief through the lens of technology.
Curious to see where van der Meer’s investigation ultimately takes him? Watch the full documentary in the video section above.
Get the TNW newsletter
Get the most important tech news in your inbox each week.