Hackers turn crosswalks into mockery of Trump, Musk, and Zuckerberg

In Northern California, hackers have manipulated pedestrian lights’ audio to mock Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and Mark Zuckerberg. Instead of the usual ‘walk’ or ‘wait’ audio instructions that emanate from the crosswalk speakers, pedestrians hear seemingly deepfake recordings, mocking some of the titans who preside over the tech world.

A series of viral videos posted on social media showed crosswalk speakers playing derisive messages about billionaire tech giants Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg in Palo Alto, Menlo Park, and Redwood City as perplexed onlookers laughed.

Voices resembling Trump and Musk

“You know it’s funny, I used to think he was just this dumb sack of shit,” the voice resembling Musk’s began, apparently referring to President Trump. “But, well, when you get to know him, he’s actually really sweet, tender, and loving.” In the background, a voice resembling Donald Trump’s responded: “Sweetie, come back to bed.”

And in Menlo Park, the home of Zuckerberg’s Meta, a video showed his spoofed voice greeting pedestrians, and telling them “it’s normal to feel uncomfortable or even violated as we forcefully insert AI into every facet of your conscious experience” but not to worry, “because there’s absolutely nothing you can do to stop it. Anyway, see ya.”

‘Walk’ and ‘Wait’

It was unclear who created these messages and how they entered the traffic system. By Monday, the fake voices had either been replaced with traditional ‘walk’ and ‘wait’ instructions on the hacked crosswalk systems or the audio had been deactivated entirely.

Hacking electronic traffic equipment for political purposes is far from new, but using audio crosswalks in instructions is a novel form of protest. However, city officials have warned that tampering with city infrastructure, including crosswalk signals, is unlawful and poses a safety risk.