Published: July 30, 2025
By: Kieron JH
Well, that was awkward.
In a thrilling saga of digital sleuthing, justified paranoia, and iron-clad firewall rules, I recently uncovered what looked like a coordinated barrage of suspicious requests hammering the backend of my website. API hits. Admin probes. Even access to a blog post about surveillance.
Clearly, the signs were all there.
I was being watched.
By someone in the UK.
Someone with technical knowledge.
Someone… suspiciously familiar.
Plot twist:
It was me.
But also… not just me.
🕵️ What Actually Happened
To be clear: the initial cause for concern was real. I noticed a UK-based IP address (Sky Broadband) making repeated requests to sensitive parts of the site:
/wp-json/complianz/v1/do_action/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php- Even
/wp-cron.phpand some plugin-based routes
The timing was especially curious — just after I’d published a post about IP monitoring and covert tracking.
So naturally, I did what any responsible advocate with a firewall would do:
I logged the data.
I flagged it.
I raised a concern.
Then I checked the IP.
And it was mine.
Of course it was.
🧠 Let Me Explain
Turns out, while I was being watched, a chunk of the noise came from my own browser. Specifically:
- Background plugin activity from the GDPR tool (thanks, Complianz)
- WordPress cron jobs
- Dashboard tabs refreshing in the background
- Me… clicking on my own blog post about surveillance to check how it looked 😅
Meanwhile, I was cross-referencing access logs like:
“This is it. They’re onto me. TRJ? Probation? MI6??”
Only to find out I was being hunted by my own keyboard.
Insert dramatic zoom.
🔧 What I Did (Besides Panic)
- Blocked my own IP in Cloudflare (naturally)
- Then whitelisted myself (after regaining composure)
- Sent a very polite follow-up email to people I may or may not have suggested were watching me
- Briefly considered filing an Interpol case… against myself
- Wrote this post to cleanse the timeline
💡 The Real Takeaway
Here’s the honest bit:
There was real suspicious activity on the site. Enough to raise valid red flags. And in a world where disabled and justice-involved people are often surveilled without consent, those instincts are not just reasonable — they’re necessary.
But this time?
The monster under the bed was partly me, and partly just a plugin doing its job a little too enthusiastically.
So to all the digital rights defenders, cyber-sceptics, and WordPress tinkerers out there:
- Always log everything.
- Trust your instincts… but verify.
- And maybe whitelist your IP before declaring digital war.
🧼 Transparency Wins
I raised the issue in good faith, acted responsibly, and followed up once I realised what had happened. That’s what safeguarding looks like — especially when you’re operating in murky waters.
Next time I think I’m being surveilled?
I’ll still investigate.
I’ll just double-check I’m not the one doing the surveilling.
Stay safe. Stay curious.
And don’t fight WordPress without backup.
— Kieron JH
https://thereasonableadjustment.co.uk
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