12-29-2006, 10:30 PM
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Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 5,074
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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. Nextel cell phones owned by two alleged mobsters, John Ardito and his attorney Peter Peluso, were used by the FBI to listen in on nearby conversations. The FBI views Ardito as one of the most powerful men in the Genovese family, a major part of the national Mafia. The surveillance technique came to light in an opinion published this week by U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan. He ruled that the "roving bug" was legal because federal wiretapping law is broad enough to permit eavesdropping even of conversations that take place near a suspect's cell phone."
While I am impressed with the use of an ordinary cell phone as a tool for eavesdropping, it is ingenious, but there is a scary side to this. If the FBI or the government can do this, then what is preventing others from doing the same. I am guessing that all that it takes is a custom application written for the handset, knowledge of the victim's cell phone number and OTAP (Over The Air Provisioning) technique. I hope these tools and techniques don't become available on the Internet for sale. :roll:
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