E-Mail: Password: SIGN UP for free Forgot my password Hello Visitor! You aren't a registered user here. Won't you consider registering with our site? You can unlock more features of the site, leave comments and even elect to receive our "Weekly Shoveling" - a summary of all the coolest stories added each week! It's totally free and takes a few seconds. We don't give out your e-mail or personal information to anybody! Try it! Main Home Page BSAlert Radio! Info/FAQ Links Feedback Fallacy List Bookmark BSAlert FreeThought Wiki BSA on Twitter Articles Submit Article (Login required) Latest Articles BSA Exclusives Article Summary Articles by Main Topic Most Popular Latest Comments Active Articles Features Fairness Doctrine Great Recession Crypto-currency Visit the BSA: Bumper Sticker Store   T-Shirts & More Web bsalert.com   Utilities Have a GREAT day!

Your Cell Phone Is A Bug Posted by Pile (11168 views) [E-Mail link] The FBI appears to have begun using a novel form of electronic surveillance in criminal investigations: remotely activating a mobile phone's microphone and using it to eavesdrop on nearby conversations. The surveillance technique came to light in an opinion published this week by U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan. He ruled that the "roving bug" was legal because federal wiretapping law is broad enough to permit eavesdropping even of conversations that take place near a suspect's cell phone. Kaplan's opinion said that the eavesdropping technique "functioned whether the phone was powered on or off." Some handsets can't be fully powered down without removing the battery; for instance, some Nokia models will wake up when turned off if an alarm is set. The U.S. Commerce Department's security office warns that "a cellular telephone can be turned into a microphone and transmitter for the purpose of listening to conversations in the vicinity of the phone." An article in the Financial Times last year said mobile providers can "remotely install a piece of software on to any handset, without the owner's knowledge, which will activate the microphone even when its owner is not making a call." Nextel and Samsung handsets and the Motorola Razr are especially vulnerable to software downloads that activate their microphones, said James Atkinson, a counter-surveillance consultant who has worked closely with government agencies. "They can be remotely accessed and made to transmit room audio all the time," he said. "You can do that without having physical access to the phone." Details     Comments   Name: (change name for anonymous posting) Title: Comments:     1 Article displayed.

Pursuant to Section 230 of Title 47 of the United States Code (47 USC § 230), BSAlert is a user-contributed editorial web site and does not endorse any specific content, but merely acts as a "sounding board" for the online community. Any and all quoted material is referenced pursuant to "Fair Use" (17 U.S.C. § 107). Like any information resource, use your own judgement and seek out the facts and research and make informed choices.