Uploaded April 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
News and Links about This Story...
youtube.com/watch?v=hEzNxfDZNBM&t=460s
geekwire.com/2025/seattle-crosswalk-buttons-hacked-to-sound-like-jeff-bezos-who-tells-pedestrians-dont-tax-the-rich
https://x.com/supersat/status/1912671419097583697
finance.yahoo.com/news/silicon-valley-crosswalk-buttons-hacked-133540809.html
tiktok.com/@rosecampau/video/7492297402578111787
paloaltoonline.com/technology/2025/04/12/silicon-valley-crosswalk-buttons-apparently-hacked-to-imitate-musk-zuckerberg-voices
reddit.com/r/Seattle/comments/1k0n0fu/someone_hacked_the_crosswalks_in_the_u_district
- -- ----- ----------
This was the video I put out about this topic last year...
youtube.com/watch?v=mvvVSTlbqEI
I have seen videos showing Polara crosswalk buttons playing AI generated voices of Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos. I find them hilarious.
Given that it doesn't appear that the functionality of the buttons has been impacted (they still work as crosswalk controls and the previously-installed language packs appear to still be there and functional) I personally consider this to be an ideal prank... ultimately harmless but existing as a hidden easter egg that can be revealed if a user knows to seek out and attempt to play any additional languages that may be installed at a given crosswalk.
Since these buttons are managed and configured via Bluetooth, it would not be necessary for anyone to have physically touched these controls in order to install an additional language choice further down in the selection menu. Bluetooth programming could be performed some distance away, possibly by someone in a vehicle or otherwise somewhat out of view. It's unlikely that they will be identified, despite how much coverage this story is getting.
To answer a few reporters' questions that I've received: No, I haven't been contacted by any municipal authorities about this news story. Likewise, Polara didn't seem to have any comment about my video in the past. I'm presuming they would say that their hardware instructions encourage (in fact, I think it *requires*) the installer to set a password upon installation, and if the customer is choosing an easy-to-guess password then Polara will probably state that this is the customer's choice. That response is something that we see frequently in the cybersecurity world, of course.
Personally, I see these sorts of pranks as the modern, digital equivalent of other kinds of attention-grabbing activism tactics like banner drops: they do not harm anyone but they do capture people's attention and get the public talking about an important facet of society that deserves our collective awareness.
- -- ----- ----------
I'm on the Fediverse. That's a great place to find me...
https://defcon.social/@deviantollam
I'm also on Instagram. I mostly use it for liking my friends' photos...
instagram.com/deviantollam
Bluesky has picked up a lot of momentum, and I'm over there, too...
https://bsky.app/profile/deviantollam.bsky.social
I'm also on Discord, but mostly only because my daughter uses it...
discord.com/users/deviantollam
I post dumb questions to Reddit and sometimes answer folks' questions there, too...
reddit.com/u/deviantollam
This is my GitHub. I post my design files there...
github.com/deviantollam
I don't use Twitter anymore and neither should you...
twitter.com/deviantollam
This is my personal web site. Most things i create wind up online...
deviating.net
- -- ----- ----------
News and Links about This Story...
youtube.com/watch?v=hEzNxfDZNBM&t=460s
geekwire.com/2025/seattle-crosswalk-buttons-hacked-to-sound-like-jeff-bezos-who-tells-pedestrians-dont-tax-the-rich
https://x.com/supersat/status/1912671419097583697
finance.yahoo.com/news/silicon-valley-crosswalk-buttons-hacked-133540809.html
tiktok.com/@rosecampau/video/7492297402578111787
paloaltoonline.com/technology/2025/04/12/silicon-valley-crosswalk-buttons-apparently-hacked-to-imitate-musk-zuckerberg-voices
reddit.com/r/Seattle/comments/1k0n0fu/someone_hacked_the_crosswalks_in_the_u_district
- -- ----- ----------
This was the video I put out about this topic last year...
youtube.com/watch?v=mvvVSTlbqEI
I have seen videos showing Polara crosswalk buttons playing AI generated voices of Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos. I find them hilarious.
Given that it doesn't appear that the functionality of the buttons has been impacted (they still work as crosswalk controls and the previously-installed language packs appear to still be there and functional) I personally consider this to be an ideal prank... ultimately harmless but existing as a hidden easter egg that can be revealed if a user knows to seek out and attempt to play any additional languages that may be installed at a given crosswalk.
Since these buttons are managed and configured via Bluetooth, it would not be necessary for anyone to have physically touched these controls in order to install an additional language choice further down in the selection menu. Bluetooth programming could be performed some distance away, possibly by someone in a vehicle or otherwise somewhat out of view. It's unlikely that they will be identified, despite how much coverage this story is getting.
To answer a few reporters' questions that I've received: No, I haven't been contacted by any municipal authorities about this news story. Likewise, Polara didn't seem to have any comment about my video in the past. I'm presuming they would say that their hardware instructions encourage (in fact, I think it *requires*) the installer to set a password upon installation, and if the customer is choosing an easy-to-guess password then Polara will probably state that this is the customer's choice. That response is something that we see frequently in the cybersecurity world, of course.
Personally, I see these sorts of pranks as the modern, digital equivalent of other kinds of attention-grabbing activism tactics like banner drops: they do not harm anyone but they do capture people's attention and get the public talking about an important facet of society that deserves our collective awareness.
- -- ----- ----------
I'm on the Fediverse. That's a great place to find me...
https://defcon.social/@deviantollam
I'm also on Instagram. I mostly use it for liking my friends' photos...
instagram.com/deviantollam
Bluesky has picked up a lot of momentum, and I'm over there, too...
https://bsky.app/profile/deviantollam.bsky.social
I'm also on Discord, but mostly only because my daughter uses it...
discord.com/users/deviantollam
I post dumb questions to Reddit and sometimes answer folks' questions there, too...
reddit.com/u/deviantollam
This is my GitHub. I post my design files there...
github.com/deviantollam
I don't use Twitter anymore and neither should you...
twitter.com/deviantollam
This is my personal web site. Most things i create wind up online...
deviating.net
- -- ----- ----------
