4 ms·

Any computer with a microphone (almost all!) has this capability.

• DennisP 11y ago
  In theory, that's only true if the user has given permission for some remotely-accessible application to activate it. In practice, the NSA almost certainly has ways to accomplish it, but that doesn't mean we should make it trivial.
  • jonknee 11y ago
    If compelling Google into changing their software to allow it to record audio for the NSA is trivial so is compelling Microsoft/Apple into changing their OS to allow the NSA to record audio. Chrome doesn't change things if the NSA is willing to make its objectives known to software vendors.
  • kale 11y ago
    The FBI have activated the microphone of a feature phone in an organized crime case. The phone wasn't on a call, but the mic was activated, evidence was gathered, and was used in trial. It's interesting to note that the mic can be activated with the cell phone "turned off", as some models at the time didn't fully shut down even being powered down. Here's an article from 9 years ago on the case that the government decided to make public. http://news.cnet.com/FBI-taps-cell-phone-mic-as-eavesdropping-tool/2100-1029_3-6140191.html http://news.cnet.com/FBI-taps-cell-phone-mic-as-eavesdroppin...
• krisdol 11y ago
  Is that a valid argument for every phone being able to have this capability? Accomplishing this on computer either requires informed consent or some kind of malware/backdoor. On Google Android it's a feature.
  • bduerst 11y ago
    You could sneak it through on a client update, if compelled.