TRUTH THORN
Truth Thorn imagines a future where data is more valuable than money. People wear masks to hide their true information, revealing it only when trust is built. The project explores the tension between privacy, trust, and data manipulation.
DURATION
8 weeks
MY ROLE
Speculative concept/Experience prototype
Background
In recent years, online scaming have become increasingly widespread. Victims are drawn into carefully constructed romantic relationships, only to be manipulated into financial loss once emotional trust is established.
These scams have evolved from simple fraud into complex systems of emotional and informational exploitation, by targeting human vulnerability, loneliness, and trust.
After talking to some people who have been closely engaged with online scamming, I gathered these quotes from them. It's interesting to see how different people react to this kind of situation.
Speculating Future
But what if the target will no longer be money, but intimate data of everyone?
Modern smart devices, especially wearables, quietly collect vast amounts of intimate data—ranging from bodily states to behavioral patterns and emotional cues. While marketed for health and convenience, this data is often analyzed, predicted upon, and used to influence decisions.
Framed as tools for health and lifestyle improvement, smart devices gradually accustom users to surrendering intimate data. This shift turns data surveillance and commodification into normalized routines.
Intimate data no longer belongs to individuals, but feeds platform algorithms and profit models—rarely met with resistance.
Sacrificial Prototype
Starting from there, I created a simple sacrificial prototype to explore how it might function in real-world social interactions, and invited classmates to engage with it.
This process revealed users’ intuitive reactions and misunderstandings, providing valuable insights for the next design steps.
Prototyping
I began with a simple dialogue prototype to explore how “data filtering” might alter the way we express and perceive identity in social interactions. Each speaker’s message is processed through an intermediary device that reconstructs or modifies key personal details—such as interests, profession, or origin.
To further test my concept, I built an interactive prototype using p5.js that simulates how personal information is “filtered” or “altered” during communication.
This prototype reinforced the core idea —exploring trust, masking, and ambiguity, and helped validate how people react when presented with partial or distorted personal information.
Outcome
The final outcome of Truth thorn is an interactive installation consisting of a mask prototype and a simulated dialogue experience.
As participants engage in conversation while wearing the mask, parts of their personal information are obscured or altered. Gradually, as trust builds, the mask reveals more truthful data.
The project offers a tangible reflection on the shifting control over intimate data, the slow unfolding of trust, and the blurred boundaries between authenticity and deception in a data-driven society.
