FBI taps cell phone mic as eavesdropping tool

[Youngfox]

FBI taps cell phone mic as eavesdropping tool

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 technique is called a "roving bug," and was approved by top U.S. Department of Justice officials for use against members of a New York organized crime family who were wary of conventional surveillance techniques such as tailing a suspect or wiretapping him.

Has anybody come across more recent articles about the "roving bug"?

 

[Johnno]

http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2006/12/remotely_eavesd_1.html

http://www.nyu.edu/classes/siva/archives/003798.html

http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1035-6140191.html

 

[James Henry]

Now apparently anybody can do it. So be careful who you lend your cell phone. Psychopaths have a new tool.

The Spy In Your Hand
http://www.newsweek.com/id/200878

This new generation of -user-friendly spy-phone software has become widely available in the last year—and it confers stunning powers. The latest programs can silently turn on handset microphones even when no call is being made, allowing a spy to listen to voices in a room halfway around the world. Targets are none the wiser: neither call logs nor phone bills show records of the secretly transmitted data.

JH

 

[Lilou]

This type of technology was demonstrated to my husband while he was overseas, by his cousin, who worked in army intelligence. This was a few years ago...2004, I believe. His cousin simply typed a cell phone number into a computer program, and soon they were listening in on a conversation. This will work even if the cell phone is switched OFF. In order for it not to work, the battery has to be removed from the cell phone. Scary stuff. Since learning of this, I've been known to remove the cell phone battery when having conversations I'd prefer remain private!

 

[Buddy]

This type of technology was demonstrated to my husband while he was overseas, by his cousin, who worked in army intelligence. This was a few years ago...2004, I believe. His cousin simply typed a cell phone number into a computer program, and soon they were listening in on a conversation. This will work even if the cell phone is switched OFF. In order for it not to work, the battery has to be removed from the cell phone. Scary stuff. Since learning of this, I've been known to remove the cell phone battery when having conversations I'd prefer remain private!

My wife and I don't use cell phones, but when I shared this story with a buddy at school, he did a 'WTF?' and went dumbfounded. When I told him about your 'solution', LissyLou, he seemed relieved and said that he was going to seriously think about doing something like that also. So thanks for that post!

 

[Ca.]

This type of technology was demonstrated to my husband while he was overseas, by his cousin, who worked in army intelligence. This was a few years ago...2004, I believe. His cousin simply typed a cell phone number into a computer program, and soon they were listening in on a conversation. This will work even if the cell phone is switched OFF. In order for it not to work, the battery has to be removed from the cell phone. Scary stuff. Since learning of this, I've been known to remove the cell phone battery when having conversations I'd prefer remain private!

My wife and I don't use cell phones, but when I shared this story with a buddy at school, he did a 'WTF?' and went dumbfounded. When I told him about your 'solution', LissyLou, he seemed relieved and said that he was going to seriously think about doing something like that also. So thanks for that post!

Current technology, and techniques to monitor, find, and jam cell phone use. Information on the intro audio from the web site.
http://bvsystems.com/

 

[kidcharlemagne]

Truly scary stuff, indeed! The funny thing is, most people I have talked to about this don't even think its possible even though this kind of surveillance method has been known to exist for quite a few years now. How can people dismiss or fail to recognize the interdependent relationship of the communications industry with governments, law enforcement, and the PTB in general? In Verizon's defense, they do have pretty decent customer service but I don't think its worth allowing yourself to be monitored at any time. I'm seriously considering downgrading my mobile accessibility. Besides, I recently was without a phone for about 3 weeks and it was quite blissful!

 

[seek10]

much more scary part is NO average american sheeple care about it. u tell them , they look at u like a nut case, even support it.

 

[Guardian]

I kept my old "dumb phone" for as long as possible, but finally had to upgrade. I got a 'droid, studied it, then rooted it and removed everything that could be used against me. It takes time and work, but it can be done. :)

 

[kidcharlemagne]

I kept my old "dumb phone" for as long as possible, but finally had to upgrade. I got a 'droid, studied it, then rooted it and removed everything that could be used against me. It takes time and work, but it can be done. :)

I remember in a recent SOTT article, it said that most smart phones include a built-in program that simply detects whether your phone still has the tracking/surveillance software or if it has been removed by the user. When you cleaned up your droid, did you happen to find this? I just wonder if it can be removed as well (i know nothing about phones) and I don't want to do the research, haha.

For when I do decide to do the research, do you know some good resources that can show me how to do what you did to your droid? My girlfriend has a new htc phone and I may try to fix it for her some time...

 

[Guardian]

I remember in a recent SOTT article, it said that most smart phones include a built-in program that simply detects whether your phone still has the tracking/surveillance software or if it has been removed by the user.

I found a script designed to log anything I did on/to the phone.

For when I do decide to do the research, do you know some good resources that can show me how to do what you did to your droid? My girlfriend has a new htc phone and I may try to fix it for her some time...

What you're going to need to do will depend entirely on the exact make, model, and OS of your phone. Google those keywords plus words like "Root" "spyware" etc. and start reading. Be sure to make a mirror of your original OS in case you screw up (I did, twice) or have to return your phone for service as rooting it voids the warranty.

 

[kidcharlemagne]

Thanks, Gaurdian! Sounds complicated and I would probably end up voiding her warranty, haha. May have to just get a tech-savvy friend to do it instead...

 

[Guardian]

Thanks, Gaurdian! Sounds complicated and I would probably end up voiding her warranty, haha.

Yes it would. As far as I know, rooting a phone voids its warranty with all manufactures.

May have to just get a tech-savvy friend to do it instead...

The warranty will still be void if the rooting is successful. You would need to restore the original operating system (not hard to do) before turning it in for service. Unfortunately, if the phone is so damaged that you can't restore the original operating system, whether or not they honor the warranty depends on whether they try to repair the phone, or just replace it.

 

[dant]

Given the warning Guardian gave regarding
"rooting your phone" and losing your warrantee,
one can certainly read about it. Do a google
search for: "rooting your phone"

This link is interesting though:
_http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/smartphones/pros-and-cons-of-jailbreaking-or-rooting-your-smartphone/1460

This snippet caught my eye:

[...]
Is it legal?

Up until July 26, 2010, jailbreaking or rooting your phone was considered illegal under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). That law, enacted in 1998, criminalized the circumvention of access controls technologies. However, the law also gives the Librarian of Congress the power to designate exceptions. This year’s ruling made an exception for software that enables a wireless phone to execute software applications (i.e., jailbreaking or rooting).

Although as far as I can tell, nobody was prosecuted for jailbreaking their phones prior to the legalization, some say Apple did threaten to do so. Note that the ruling only affects criminal prosecution; the ruling doesn’t address breach of contract. Therefore, if you signed a contract in which you agree not to jailbreak the phone, it doesn’t keep the phone vendors from issuing patches to “undo” your jailbreak or even brick your jailbroken phone.
[...]

 

[kidcharlemagne]

Hmm, yeah, the google search would have been my first try but since I know nothing about this kind of high-tech gadget and I'm afraid I would just ruin the thing, I'll probably just leave it alone for now. I guess that the simplest way to get around this is to just revert back to a primitive phone or go without one. The latter would be harder to bear since everybody is so addicted to holding those things to their ears everywhere they go and there would surely be pressure from friends to stay "in touch" at all hours of the day. I have seen how upset some people get if you don't answer their incessant texts, haha. Thanks anyways, guys. :)