[reustle]

Every time elorant's comment subject crosses my mind, this comes up. How would we go about getting online anonymously using open wifi without worrying about cameras being planted everywhere?

Leave a raspberrypi hidden near an open wifi spot and connect into it and route traffic through it? That would still require us to connect to their network from another one...

[chakalakasp]

Probably the best opsec for this would be to access the Wi-Fi from a location that is somewhat distant from the hotspot using a cantenna. Use a laptop that you purchased with cash at least a few months ago at a non-local thrift store (most thift stores won't archive video for more than a few weeks at most, if they even have cameras) and run off of a live CD like tails. Wear gloves while using the laptop and destroy and dispose of it immediately after use, preferably in a place where an old discarded laptop would not be suspicious.

[jlgreco]

Doing all of this will make you stand out more. Better to blend in with the general public a bit more.

Buy a cheap (preferably stolen) smartphone on craigslist and throw away the SIM card. Preferably this should be a phone with a removable battery. Walk to a bus stop that is near to a starbucks and jump onto their wifi with the phone, pretending to wait for the bus. After a while, walk away. Since you are outside during the entire process you can do this during winter and bundle up, concealing your identity while not looking suspicious.

Using a laptop at a busstop would draw attention. Using a cantenna anywhere not private would also draw attention. Getting a private place to use the cantenna is prone to problems (you could aim it out your apartment window, but that ties you to a location. You could park a van nearby, but that is suspicious). You can easily dispose of the smartphone later; just microwave it then go for a nature walk and throw it in the river.