WIKILEAKS ARE OUT (more to come)

I don't mind the agencies watching bad guys, but the problem is that we are on a trend to define patriots and Constitutionalists as bad guys and domestic terrorists. Smart devices, whether TV's, phones, or those soup can shaped things Amazon is selling can all be hacked to spy on us, and the spies aren't likely to be even human, but automated systems monitoring for keywords.

That technology is already in use at call center operations where a keyword from a caller or agent will immediately notify a supervisor who can barge in and listen without either party knowing it. It's a small leap to apply that to the Internet devices silently looking and listening in our homes, cars, and on our persons.

Smartphone monitoring apps are widely available to monitor your kids and spouses and some are virtually impossible to detect and remove. Tell me these things can't be delivered and installed via a "free" app without your knowing it.

 

Too bad we can't turn the tables and bug them.

 

I find it very interesting that the liberals rushed out and bought the book 1984 right after Trump was elected President. Now with this wikileaks release of Vault 7, the Democrats are not as outraged as they should be. They must not have connected the dots or comprehended what they read in 1984

 

Even in darkness...

 

I think infra red sensing "night vision" technology was not in general use at the time 1984 was written....in 1949, being confined mainly to military applications at that time.


The German 1945 pattern active infrared Zielgerät ZG 1229 Vampir displayed by a British soldier
Via:Night vision - Wikipedia

 

I think all need to listen to @BTPost "I have a SET of Rules in my Main Router, that locks down ALL Incoming requests from the Internet Connection, to ONLY those that I specifically Allow" because this is the only way I can see to lock down/out your Smart TV since most are internet capable. I have not looked (but I will) but most IP addressable devices have a default address but even if you changed that address a simple brute force routine could and would figure that address out quickly. So...it is not enough to 'not' configure your Smart TV. You have to ensure it cannot be reach via your wifi network. I am not sure you can even turn your wifi off on the television and/or that would make a difference, need to think that one through a bit. Think I will look at mine now...
EDIT: @BTPost Thinking more about this...You know if they attack you it probably will be under the guise of something you think is totally benign...might need to reconsider this. I need to talk to my network guru buddy. He has a CCIE and a bag full of add-ons.

@ghrit
"How to keep the listening and talking separated I don't know. Maybe there's a center channel speaker that isn't?"
I have been thinking about this all morning also and I would doubt that the TV can listen to you while it is turned on to a TV channel or DVD or etc. unless, as you pointed out, there are separate controlled speakers which one could then be turned into the microphone but I have a top of the line super-duper Samsung 65 inch and I know mine doesn't. This really is quite ingenious isn't it! I bet the Spooks are having a hissy fit right now! It's sad also because if they had our trust then this would have been a great tool.

"I don't know if Samsung can watch you watching it..."
Doubtful unless these TVs have video cameras built-in then it would be scary easy as you well know...

Anyway, my 2 cents is :
1) Yes, a Smart TV could listen in on you and send that data via the internet
Everything is there that they require: speaker turned into a microphone, A/D conversion, internet capability and the system is digitally based so controlled by software - meaning - it has or is a small computer.
2) No, it cannot watch you...unless it has a built-in camera then it is easy-peasy, same as mobile phone.
3) Ensure your router is setup to block incoming requests except the ones you allow

 

Your TV isn't the primary problem, though your network should be as secure as you can make it. Manually assign internal IP addresses in a 10 network and only allow those devices on your network for a start. Turn off DHCP services if you can as well. Traffic rules such as @BTPost mentions are also necessary - can your router support this?

Don't forget that electrical tape is great for cameras when not in use.

Your smart phone is the easiest thing for them to exploit along with snooping email and social media.

 

I just went through my new 65" Samsung whoopdee-do television and you cannot turn off the WiFi. All you can do 'not' give it the wifi password but I don't see anyway to actually turn it off.

@3M-TA3 Why a 10 network? Seems it wouldn't matter? Yeah, my router is good, firewall good and I do not allow DHCP, actually allow no devices on the network except 2 computers and wife's mobile which I manually configure and assign addresses. I would never access my email using a mobile phone...no, no, no... Actually, I do not access the internet with my phone. I keep everything turned off (Bluetooth, wifi, mobile data) figuring the reason I have a phone is so people can call me. But, why a 10 net? I'm tracking with you on the rest but you got me there.

 

10 networks are "illegal" and you can subnet them more than a million different ways. The standard 192.168 network is a known and therefore low hanging fruit to someone attempting to navigate your LAN.

 

I don't think we are too far away from having automation monitor everybody 100% of the time while building dossiers on each of us and then alert authorities when certain conditions are met. Lack of observed activity will be as damning as actual activity.

 

I have a new routine. Rather than just placing a piece of duct tape over the camera on my laptop and leaving it here, I now remove it once a day, moon my laptop for a few seconds, then put it back on.

 

Sex toy owners receive $10,000 each for having their privacy breached


Fake news Or more distractions again