Old Conspiracy Rumor

This rumor is at least 30 years old, as the person who told it to me heard it about that long ago.

The rumor was that a guy working in the communications industry said that the government can and often does watch us through our own tv sets.

Has anyone else ever heard this?

I'm not saying I believe it, there'd be far too much worthless info to skim through, even if it was a capability they'd have.

sure, they watch me eat dinner and pet my cat and vaccum

they also see me in my boxers in the morning to get a cup of coffee


what would the point be?

its like the posts of people who say that clothes are chipped and so is everything

do you know how big of a network you would need and the amount of man power to sift through all that?

utter ridiculousness

Technically speaking, it's impossible and the entire premise is ludicrous.
Since you say this is 30 years old, there is no way a CRT (cathode ray tube) in a TV can act like a camera and record events. Also, in todays plasma and LCD screens, it's also technically impossible.

Originally posted by WhatTheory
Technically speaking, it's impossible and the entire premise is ludicrous.
Since you say this is 30 years old, there is no way a CRT (cathode ray tube) in a TV can act like a camera and record events. Also, in todays plasma and LCD screens, it's also technically impossible.

Awww come on, you know, with the Alien Crash technology, and the data of the Nazi Super Scientists employed by the CIA, anything is possible!

[edit on 14-7-2008 by TheGreySwordsman]

If you don't take the words you heard literally , i guess this link can help a bit : archive.salon.com...

reply to post by WhatTheory


However what is technically possible is a small lens s(ay for example behind the speaker grill) and a small low range transmitter (hidden amongst the other electronics) to be picked up by a van on the street to preview a known house that is about to be raided to gather information.

That is entirely possible and could have been done realistically for about 15-20 years. With today's miniture lens and transmitters it could all fit in a wristwatch if consolidated as such. In a TV or clock radio or home stereo there is plenty of room. Just look at the laptops that have built in web cams in the border frame of the screen.

Seriously the tech is nearly there to install one in a long wooden match if you want to spend the money.

I seem to recall making a post similar to this before...and here it is

[edit on 14-7-2008 by Ahabstar]

If that were true then I think that somewhere along the line a worker who put the sets together would have spilled the beans about it. Of all the tv manufacturers, all the employees that worked there; no way that's a secret for so long. They're not government workers after all.

Not to mention all the TV repairmen. The coverup would have to be bigger than JFK and UFOs combined.

Not the TV, the Cable Box.

Why has consumer electronics gotten smaller and smaller, except the cable box? We all know that cable can transmit two ways (cable internet). They all have a little window in them, and sit in almost every living room. Cable was a government granted monopoly to start was it not?

True... but how hard would it be to arrange for you to "win" a TV, clock or other item at a store opening, 1 millionth customer prize, company picnic, raffle or other such things?


But then again, manufactoring specification could call for a specific "LED" that was a guarded manufactoring secret. While not a huge secret not many people are aware that the computer control chip in their car can be replaced with one that has higher performance specs (police edition/package vehicles) or more fuel ecconomical (hyper-miler mods).

Many of the different fan and resistor banks (part of dynamic braking systems on locomotives) call for different bolts that are the same other than length, yet overall the same bolt could be universally as the location would not interfer with any mechanical nor electrical operation. Yet we build to specs despite the cost saving a universal use bolt would have...same with different diameter washers on those bolts for the various models. We even have two models that are absolutely identical in every detail except the model number and a $4000 increased price of one of the models. Even the nameplates are the same except for the model number which is stamped on it.

GM does the same thing with the different makes and models of cars, like the alternator in a Caddy costs more than a Buick or Chrysler, yet they are the same part other than a different nameplate.

reply to post by Ahabstar


I applaud you for adding some sense to this thread.

It is easily plausible. As far as I'm concerned (with a strong knowledge of IT and networking) it is easier than you made out.

reply to post by amanbuthimself


Thank you for the applause. I also did some networking in times past and what was bleeding edge then is rather outdated today. One of the designs I discussed on a job interview was for broadband spectrum wireless. I wasn't sure the proper way to do it but figured that it would take the bankroll of a major telcom to do it. 3G is pretty close to what I envisioned 12 years ago.

Now if only someone would steal my idea of a Palm Pilot sized full computer using a pop up Flexable OLED and solid state drives with either a base dock or a USB hub for KB, Mouse, external CD/DVD. Apple came close with that new laptop, but I was looking at something smaller for business travelers to just whip out.

Although I did get a few questions on the plane with the HP PocketPC and the Targus folding KB back then. While the IR connection was okay, I would have still liked a wired option for the turbulance.

And to be on topic, yeah it could be pulled off a whole lot easier than I got into. Like using image correction to right the image and pinhole light properties for a less visible option.