Eavesdropping

Article: http://www.naturalnews.com/021240_cell_phones_cell_phone_Big_Brother.html

This website has learned that the FBI has developed a technique that can remotely activate a nearby cell phone's microphone, thereby turning it into a listening device. The "roving bug" technique was approved by U.S. Department of Justice officials for use on members of an organized crime family in New York that was getting increasingly suspicious of tails, wiretaps or other traditional surveillance techniques.


The cell phones of alleged mobster John Ardiot -- considered by the FBI to be one of the most powerful men in the national Mafia's Genovese family -- and his attorney Peter Peluso, also an alleged mobster, were activated by this technique in order for authorities to monitor nearby conversations. U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan ruled that the technique was legal in an opinion this week, stating that federal wiretapping law was broad enough to cover the monitoring of conversations occurring near a suspect's cell phone.

The new method works whether the phone is on or off, because many phone models cannot be truly powered down without removing the battery.

"If a phone has in fact been modified to act as a bug, the only way to counteract that is to either have a bugsweeper follow you around 24-7, which is not practical, or to peel the battery off the phone," Atkinson said, adding that some security-conscious corporate executives make a habit of removing their cell phone's battery when the unit is not in use.


This is not the first time the FBI has commandeered built-in microphones as listening devices. In a 2003 lawsuit, it was discovered that the FBI was able to activate the microphones of automotive systems such as OnStar and listen to passenger conversations without the speakers knowing. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the practice was not legal, but only because the technique prevents the system from being used in an emergency
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Wow...opinions?
This whole cellphone being bugged business, not necessary. I would assume that cellphone manufacturers would make their phones be less suseptible to being rigged, but to think that one day someone would be able to put a bug in my phone? Scary. I can't believe that the FBI would allow such a thing.

Well, I guess if the case called for it. I really don't believe I"ll be in any trouble anytime soon. But still, the thought it scary.

However, it is just crazy to see what can happen because of technology. Because people seem to need cellphones now to communicate at any point, at any time and also be able to make their called 'anonymous'. Even with the use of cellphones, which we hope to be used privately, they can easily be bugged for another persons use or deception.