Several pedestrian crossings in California have been hacked, broadcasting amusing impersonations of tech moguls, sparking a local investigation.
Tech Billionaires Targeted: Hacked Crossings in California Deliver Comedic Messages
Tech Billionaires Targeted: Hacked Crossings in California Deliver Comedic Messages
Unruly hijinks in Silicon Valley as pedestrian signals mock Musk and Zuckerberg with outrageous audio
In various neighborhoods across northern California, pedestrian crossings have fallen victim to a digital prank, featuring fake audio messages that parody tech influencers Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg. Local authorities are looking into the incident and have since disabled the crossings' ability to emit audio instructions like "walk" or "wait."
Over the weekend, bewildered pedestrians in areas including Palo Alto, Redwood City, and Menlo Park—home to Zuckerberg's Meta Headquarters—were greeted by bizarre audio messages. One impersonating Musk humorously offered free Tesla Cybertrucks to those willing to befriend him, while another in a Zuckerberg-like voice declared, "Real ones call me The Zuck."
Officials remain uncertain about the identities of the culprits or how the audio system of the pedestrian crossings was compromised. Representatives from the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) confirmed that approximately ten crossings were affected in the Menlo Park and Palo Alto regions. These crossings have since reverted to a timer system, disabling the buttons that activated the unusual messages.
The audio parodies took a comedic turn, with one message humorously welcoming visitors to Palo Alto, where Tesla operations are located. "They say money can't buy happiness, and I guess that's true. God knows I've tried," the recording quipped, gaining traction on social media platforms. A fabricated message from Zuckerberg dove into a theme of integrating AI into daily life, humorously framing it as enhancing ‘every facet of your conscious experience.’
As the situation unfolded, communications from both Musk and Zuckerberg regarding the incident had not yet materialized. Efforts from the city of Palo Alto revealed that at least 12 pedestrian crossings had been compromised, with a city employee discovering the malfunction on Saturday afternoon. Meghan Horrigan-Taylor, a city spokeswoman, noted that the voice feature would remain disabled while repairs are underway but assured that other traffic signals were intact and unaffected. Local reports also noted similar issues reported in the Redwood City area, confirming that these occurrences seemed localized to a distinct area within California's tech hub.
Over the weekend, bewildered pedestrians in areas including Palo Alto, Redwood City, and Menlo Park—home to Zuckerberg's Meta Headquarters—were greeted by bizarre audio messages. One impersonating Musk humorously offered free Tesla Cybertrucks to those willing to befriend him, while another in a Zuckerberg-like voice declared, "Real ones call me The Zuck."
Officials remain uncertain about the identities of the culprits or how the audio system of the pedestrian crossings was compromised. Representatives from the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) confirmed that approximately ten crossings were affected in the Menlo Park and Palo Alto regions. These crossings have since reverted to a timer system, disabling the buttons that activated the unusual messages.
The audio parodies took a comedic turn, with one message humorously welcoming visitors to Palo Alto, where Tesla operations are located. "They say money can't buy happiness, and I guess that's true. God knows I've tried," the recording quipped, gaining traction on social media platforms. A fabricated message from Zuckerberg dove into a theme of integrating AI into daily life, humorously framing it as enhancing ‘every facet of your conscious experience.’
As the situation unfolded, communications from both Musk and Zuckerberg regarding the incident had not yet materialized. Efforts from the city of Palo Alto revealed that at least 12 pedestrian crossings had been compromised, with a city employee discovering the malfunction on Saturday afternoon. Meghan Horrigan-Taylor, a city spokeswoman, noted that the voice feature would remain disabled while repairs are underway but assured that other traffic signals were intact and unaffected. Local reports also noted similar issues reported in the Redwood City area, confirming that these occurrences seemed localized to a distinct area within California's tech hub.
