Are they watching us now?

My fiance were sitting around one day thinking about this...

Why are there cameras and microphone insets popping up on everything? First, we've got cameras on our phones, next is the built-in cameras and microphones on your laptop, and now this??

Nintendo DS adds camera

They say it's to 'get you more into the game'... But I think that there's something behind all of this. How are all of these cameras and microphones be accessed? Is it only from your own personal gadget, or can these technologies be accessed from other outside sources?

I think this is definitely a possiblity, especially when many things like phones, computers, and now the Nintendo DS can all gain access to the internet.

Although many people think, "Well, what would they want to watch you just browsing the web and playing video games."

Well, if they're watching you through a web cam, surely they can access what you're looking at online, as well. If your laptop is left open, anyone hacked on to your database can capture images of your house, apartment, family, guests, etc.

Also, can't LCD screens be used as a 2-way communicator? Something to do with the tubes involved and wiring, etc.

It's as if someone wants everything to be recorded. I mean, look at all these video blogs, YouTube, and all that's in between. All our lives are being recorded daily, whether you're driving on the street, or walking through a store, someone is watching. We're being conditioned into thinking that everything should be recorded for 'sentimental' reasons, but with a collective database of everyone's photographs and videos ever recorded, there would be a substantial amount of useful information, when put in the right hands.

I'm trying to find some more links that I've come across about this topic, but right now, I'm drawing a blank.

Webcam Under Hacker's Control

The Ipatch


Sorry for the rambling, this was just a thought I was having, and wanted some input.

you think that's bad, check this out
www.youtube.com...
Microsoft's latest xbox creation will have all your biometric info!
scary stuff .. and the sad thing is people will probably love having these in their homes

I've been developing high tech gizmos for many years now. Most people I talk to have no idea that cameras, GPS, PDAs, that are built into to a cell phone are designed to be accessed by the service provider without the phone indicating that it is happening.

We have a brand new problem here in Canada where the RCMP are calling the service provider for GPS data whenever they want to find somebody and the service provider just gives it to them assuming that the police wouldn't ask if it wasn't legal (kind of a free ride, get it well you can situation). So are they going to start providing information such as phone contact lists, camera feeds, PDA memory downloads, etc. without asking the police for a warrant? I imagine it will happen for a while at least once the police catch on that this is possible. Unfortunately by that point it is damage done.

Whenever I buy a new cell phone I open it up and physically disable the GPS and camera. I never place information about my friends in the contact list and I never buy a cell phone with a built in PDA. I'm even considering installing a small switch that disconnects the mic when I'm not using the phone.

Edit for typo

[edit on 2-6-2009 by dainoyfb]

I personally highly doubt that they are using all these things to spy on us. I usually always keep my phone in my pocket, and anything with a camera really isn't really out all the time. With the nintendo DS, I see it as being used by mostly kids, so I don't know why they would be spying on kids..


Just my 2 cents

Cheers

Like I've said before, fart loud and fart often. Give them their money's worth. There is a ying and yang to this. Think of ways to make their spying work for you.

I cant for a second believe they have an intrest of watching us like that.
Why would they have any interest ? Why spend all that money to set up these cameraes every where ??

Im not saying it isnt possible, one never know, but it seams like an hell of an effort to just 'snoop' at us or maybe get a glimps of some boobs..

reply to post by ChemBreather



So then what are the 4.2 million law enforcement cameras over the streets of the UK for?

Its not that they have a reason to watch you. Its if they think they have a reason then they can watch you.

Of course, you will be the last to know, but maybe you are OK with that. Why don't you just live in a glass house?

reply to post by dainoyfb


Yeah, when I heard about those cameras I was shocked. Sure we have outdoor feeds in the US but not even close to that scale. Plus we can still own a firearm... The UK is (&^%ed

I've been counterintelligence for some time now. A while back they briefed us not to bring our cell phones into meetings because even though you have it turned off - it can still be activated remotely by the company and God knows who else.

Anyway...

I don't see how that would be applied into something such as a handheld game device. The sheer amount of personnel it would take to monitor such a high number of surveillance devices would be unimaginable.

I'm sure there are those of you who will claim that it can be done by "computers" - but I beg to differ. In order to effectively monitor someone, you need a live person on the end of that mic listening to what is being said.

Regardless of public mistrust of the government, Executive Order 12333 prevents unwarranted surveillance on American citizens. Basically - you have to be under legitimate investigation for someone to put any kind of wire or other tap on you. Plus - the very activity itself has to be approved by a judge after review of the entire case and such.

I wouldn't worry about it too much. Just know that the possibility does exist.

If a cell phone or x-box etc, could be switched on to gather information, wouldnt by now we would start seeing this sort of spying turning up in our court systems and being presented as evidence against wrong doers. And also wouldnt there be more people being arrested for the most mundane things(i know that happens already but surely there would be an increase). And at the end of the day if it exists and nobody but the uber crims are being targeted then we have no worry.

Originally posted by undefy.gravity
My fiance were sitting around

Darn it, you're already spoken for! Whoever he is, he's a lucky guy.

Anyway, though I don't believe anybody's currently watching all of us through our cell phones, there has been at least one major case I know of, in which the police were investigating mobsters, and were able to remotely activate their cell phones and eavesdrop on their conversations, even when they weren't using their phones, and believed them to be turned off.

Also, even if your phone doesn't have a built-in GPS, the records of which cell towers it's connected with, and at what times it's done so, can be used against you if you're being investigated/prosecuted and they're trying to prove you were in a certain area at a certain time.

The same obviously holds true for "fast-track" devices that automatically pay bridge tolls.

Additionally, if you're involved in a collision, and you own a late-model car, its computer may very well store "black box" type data regarding just how fast you were going and what you may or may not have done in terms of brake, accelerator, and steering inputs in the moments leading up to the crash. Nobody has yet determined who owns that data, but if you want to keep it out of the hands of the insurance companies and personal injury lawyers, not to mention the police and district attorney, you'd better be prepared for a fight.

[edit on 16-6-2009 by flightsuit]

This should provide sufficient reasons for paranoia, as if we don't already have enough reasons:

Spy Phone Software

This bothers me. No wonder I always get that feeling of being watched. I AM being watched. Some one, some where is REALLY REALLY BORED. (sorry to whom ever it is.)

Cameras here in the UK are everywhere, there's probably nowhere in Manchester City Centre you can go without being on camera...

- Manchester bombing en.wikipedia.org...

We're quite a techy household and we've got a PS3 that's got a webcam hooked up (for Singstar), my laptops' got a microphone, I wonder if that could be remotely activated?

I think this is the thin end of the wedge, where we're all so used to having cameras around we don't notice them anymore. I don't think there's anyone watching, but the point is they could choose to if they wanted.