Canada Helped Spy on Phones
Article taken from Times and Transcript Wednesday January 29, 2014
In this article it says that Canada was helping allies from Britain spy on smartphones by possibly using the app "Angry Birds". The data they could receive from spying on the app would include, phone models, screen size,or personal things like, age, and gender. To me, spying through an app seems a little bit ridiculous and creepy. Spies could access things on phones, including the microphone to listen to conversations; tapping is called making the microphone "hot". According to this newspaper piece, the code name for making a microphone hot was "Nosey Smurf". Spies used this name trying to keep with the "playful theme".
All of this information was released from a former American spy Edward Snowden. To me, it is scary to know that a company could be spying on me while I play a game on my phone. I have never played Angry Birds before, and am glad that I have not. Although, that is not to say that in the future, a company would not pick a different app to spy through. Overall, I was shocked to read this and will be more aware with downloading free apps on my phone. The world is changing, and technology is becoming scary if you ask me.
I am shocked too. That is crazy that this sort of thing can happen to everyday people. Just because you do not have anything to hide does not mean to don't strongly need privacy. I enjoyed reading your article Brianna!
ReplyDeleteThis seems like an invasion of privacy, I would like to see the terms of service that come with the app. As I am not well versed in apps in general, I would assume there is a terms of service. Also I would want to see if there was legal action that could be taken.
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