Internet Noise With Arduino

Did you ever want an easy way to add a bunch of random search queries to your internet history?

Building a device that fits over your keyboard is possible, but takes many parts and a lot of time to get right. You can accomplish the same thing with a little Arduino USB (pictured) that can pretend to be a keyboard. When you plug it in, it can automatically start entering search queries.

The device that is described in this tutorial randomly searches strings from the quick search in a Window's Firefox browser, but does not access any sites. It is meant to be plugged in when a computer is not being used to enter multitudes of search queries to add them to your profile that governments, algorithms, and countless "third parties" use to find out more about you.

-Arduino Beetle USB (get one like picture)

1. Get an Arduino USB just like the picture in this step.
2. Download the latest Arduino IDE - https://www.arduino.cc/en/software
3. Download the script in the github link here - https://github.com/neilmac1/phantom_kitty/blob/main/firefox_search.ino
4. Upload the program to the Arduino using the Arduino Leonardo as the board type. As soon as you upload it, letters will start appearing, so put the cursor to the end of the program before upload and pull the Arduino out as soon as it uploads.
5. *Important Note* If you hold you finger over the pins marked 5V and A2, the program will do a continuous loop and stop pressing letters, so if you need to reprogram it, use that trick. It is a line in the code from step 3.

1. Open the Firefox browser and open the options (works in others, but least bugs with Firefox)
2. Navigate to the "Search" page, check the "use address bar for search and navigation"
3. Make the default search engine whoever you want to confuse the most

4. Check "Provide search suggestions" and "Show search suggestions in address bar results" and "Show search suggestions ahead of browsing history in address bar results"

5. In the one click search engines, make sure that there are at least 10 different engines listed. If there are less, add some until you get ten. It doesn't matter what you pick.
6. Navigate to the "Privacy and Security" page. Scroll down and click the "Clear History" button. Make the time range to clear at lease the last hour, and ensure at least the following are checked - "Browsing and Download History", and "Form and Search History" <- This is because the script will clear your recent browsing history so you don't know what it searched for
7. Exit the options

1. Open a Firefox browser and make it active
2. Plug in the Arduino you just programmed and wait for any drivers to load
3. The device will start searching within about 20 seconds and will continue to do so until you pull it out.
4. If a key gets stuck down when you pull it out (very very rare chance), just plug it in, wait for a search and pull it out again. The script releases all keys when it initializes
5. Use often to contribute to your digital privacy
6. Thank you for reading!

If you saw this and want one but don't want to make it yourself - I have a few on etsy.