"The Institute for Applied Autonomy (IAA) was founded in 1998 as a technological research and development organization dedicated to the cause of individual and collective self-determination. Our mission is to study the forces and structures which affect self-determination and to provide technologies which extend the autonomy of human activists." - IAA Mission Statement
The Institute for Applied Autonomy was an activist group which focused on dissemination of knowledge, autonomy, and methods of self-determination through artistic expression and application of military-like technology to the topics of Criminal Mischief, decentralized systems and individual autonomy. It was founded in 1998 as an informal research collective around the central theme of contestational robotics. The group of anonymous artists is known for employing technology in protest. Among its better known initiatives was i-See, a decentralized CCTV map distribution software containing user-generated data including positioning of surveillance cameras in New York City, as well as several other international city centers, in protest of privacy violations on the general public, and TXTMob, a registration system for cell phones to allow protest groups rapid, anonymous communication. In February 2008, the New York City Law Department issued a subpoena to the programmer of TXTMob asking him to reveal users of the service and contents of messages sent during the 2004 Republican National Convention.
Other IAA project were the Graffiti writer, and Terminal air.
All IAA artwork has been copylefted, with permission for use as long as it is attributed.