# Remote activation of phones, mics and cameras



## teckk (Aug 3, 2013)

In the news.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB100...4.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_MIDDLENexttoWhatsNewsThird
http://money.cnn.com/2013/08/01/technology/security/tv-hack/index.html?iid=HP_River

https://duckduckgo.com/html/?q=FBI Taps Hacker Tactics to Spy on Suspects


> "With such technology, the bureau can remotely activate the microphones in phones running Google Inc.'s Android software to record conversations"


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## kpedersen (Aug 3, 2013)

Ah phew... when I read the title, I assumed that they were bringing out some sort of DRM that requires us to activate our phones online 

If you don't want anyone to use the camera or recorder on your phone, simply turn it off and take out the battery


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## sossego (Aug 3, 2013)




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## KNOStic (Aug 3, 2013)

teckk said:
			
		

> In the news.
> http://online.wsj.com/article/SB100...4.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_MIDDLENexttoWhatsNewsThird
> http://money.cnn.com/2013/08/01/technology/security/tv-hack/index.html?iid=HP_River
> 
> https://duckduckgo.com/html/?q=FBI Taps Hacker Tactics to Spy on Suspects



For anyone concerned about misbehaving wireless toys, Google "faraday bag". Whip that bad boy in the bag and it won't even know it's a phone, much less anything more nefarious. Don't let it out of the bag except when you need to use it. Problem solved!


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## kpedersen (Aug 4, 2013)

... and when you do need to use it, then simply climb into the bag with it :e

Think of the bag as a firewall (which phones / tablets lack) and in particular, think of it as the Windows outgoing firewall where you want to prevent 99% of software phoning home / updating / DRM activating.

The year is 2013 and software / hardware artificially sucks!


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## Crivens (Aug 4, 2013)

From the WSJ article:


			
				FBI said:
			
		

> It is loath to use these tools when investigating hackers, out of fear the suspect will discover and publicize the technique, the person said.



I wonder how much evidence they collect for the scientific study "how does duck tape look from below" in the rest of the targets.


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## wblock@ (Aug 4, 2013)

KNOStic said:
			
		

> For anyone concerned about misbehaving wireless toys, Google "faraday bag". Whip that bad boy in the bag and it won't even know it's a phone, much less anything more nefarious. Don't let it out of the bag except when you need to use it. Problem solved!



A decent program would just buffer what it has recorded until a network connection is available.  But it probably doesn't matter, most people will be surrounded by other people's phones that do have a network connection.


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## geek (Aug 4, 2013)

It's a bit hard for me to believe that cell phones can spy you when powered off, but maybe I'm wrong about this. I think there should be Open Source hardware and other electronic appliances that don't contain any useless spying functionalities.


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## sossego (Aug 5, 2013)




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## throAU (Aug 5, 2013)

You mean "in modern socialist America".


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## Crivens (Aug 5, 2013)

throAU said:
			
		

> You mean "in modern socialist America".



On that level of gouvernment, the difference between socialist, communist or capitalist is about this big.

IMHO, speaking of a cleptocratic gouvernment fits the bill in most countries around the world.


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## SirDice (Aug 6, 2013)

kpedersen said:
			
		

> ... and when you do need to use it, then simply climb into the bag with it :e


You won't have much cellphone reception inside the bag


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## Crivens (Aug 6, 2013)

SirDice said:
			
		

> You won't have much cellphone reception inside the bag



I'm among nerds. Considering cellphone reception more important than free access to oxygen, nerds nerds nerds...


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## _martin (Aug 6, 2013)

throAU said:
			
		

> You mean "in modern socialist America".



Correct. And it's more true than funny too :/


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