'Dead Drops' High-Tech Scavenger Hunt Has People Searching for File-Sharing

FOX24, COLUMBUS, Ohio (Tara Morgan) -- It has a spy game feel with a modern day twist. Dead Drops is a concept that is sweeping the globe.

Berlin-based artist Aram Bartholl created the Dead Drops database back in 2010 while in New York City.

It's file sharing with strangers using USB flashdrives that are cemented in public spaces. "The data is literally cemented into the brick wall it's not in the cloud it's not connected by Facebook or Amazon you don't know what's on there you have to go to the place," said Bartholl.

We checked the database and found three dead drops in Dayton, Ohio. But on our scavenger hunt, the flashdrives no longer existed.

"Some of them survive pretty long and sometimes depending on where you make them and how visible they are people also take them quickly," said Bartholl.

OSU professor Jennifer Evans-Cowley lectures about technology in cities.

"There's all kinds of ways that we transfer information and sure you can go on the internet and find anything but you're not necessarily going to find the song that I think is special and I'm choosing to share with people who interact with this USB port," said Evans-Cowley.

One criticism Bartholl gets is the chance for viruses.

"If you want to infect another computer you don't want to put your flash drive in the city somewhere so you probably send out emails or other things," said Bartholl.

There are more than 1400 Dead Drops around the world.