How your phone's microphone and camera can be used to spy on you
Your phone's microphone and camera are not just for making calls, taking selfies, or recording videos. They can also be used by malicious apps, hackers, or government agencies to monitor your activities, conversations, and surroundings.
When you install an app on your phone, you may be asked to grant it permission to access your microphone and camera. This may seem harmless, but some apps may abuse this permission and use it to spy on you without your knowledge. For example, an app could:
Access both the front and the back camera.
Record you at any time the app is in the foreground.
Take pictures and videos without telling you.
Upload the pictures and videos without telling you.
Run real-time face recognition to detect facial features or expressions.
Livestream the camera on to the internet.
Detect if the user is on their phone alone, or watching together with a second person.
Upload random frames of the video stream to a web service and run a proper face recognition software which can find existing photos of you on the internet and create a 3D model based on your face.
This is not just a hypothetical scenario. There have been cases of apps that have been caught spying on users through their cameras and microphones. For example, in 2019, Facebook admitted that it had been paying contractors to transcribe audio clips from its Messenger app. In 2017, Google removed 20 apps from its Play Store that were found to be secretly recording users and sending the data to a server in China. In 2016, a security researcher discovered that a popular flashlight app was secretly recording audio from users' phones and sending it to advertisers.
Hackers can also gain access to your phone's microphone and camera by exploiting vulnerabilities in the software or hardware of your device. They can send you malicious files or links that can infect your phone with malware that can take over your sensors. They can also use phishing or social engineering techniques to trick you into installing rogue apps or granting them remote access to your device. Once they have access, they can do anything they want with your microphone and camera, such as:
Eavesdrop on your conversations and record them.
Capture images or videos of you or your surroundings.
Steal your personal information or credentials.
Blackmail you or extort money from you.
Use your device as a spy tool to target others.
Hackers are not the only ones who can spy on you through your phone's microphone and camera. Government agencies can also have access to your device through in-built backdoors or covert programs. For example, in 2014, Edward Snowden revealed an NSA program called Optic Nerves, which captured webcam images every five minutes from Yahoo users' video chats and then stored them for future use. It is estimated that between 3% and 11% of the images captured contained "undesirable nudity". The NSA also has other tools that can remotely activate the microphones and cameras of devices, such as smartphones, laptops, TVs, or smart speakers.
How to protect yourself from spying through your phone's microphone and camera
The good news is that there are some simple steps you can take to protect yourself from spying through your phone's microphone and camera. Here are some tips:
Be careful about what apps you install on your phone. Only download apps from trusted sources, such as the official app stores. Read the reviews and ratings of the apps before installing them. Check the permissions that the apps request and only grant them if they are necessary for the app's functionality. If an app asks for access to your microphone or camera, ask yourself if it really needs it. For example, a weather app or a calculator app should not need access to your sensors.
Review and manage the permissions of the apps that are already installed on your phone. You can do this by going to the settings of your phone and looking for the apps or privacy section. There, you can see which apps have access to your microphone and camera, and revoke or limit their access if you want. You can also disable the microphone and camera altogether if you don't need them.
Know when your phone's microphone and camera are being used. Thanks to updates on computers and cell phones, there are easy indicators that let you know when an app has access to the cameras and microphones on your device. On iPhones running the iOS 14 operating system or higher, you'll see an orange dot at the top of your screen when an app is using the microphone and a green dot for the camera. On many Android phones, and any phone running the Android 12 operating system, you'll see a camera or microphone icon pop-up in the top right when an app starts using one of those sensors, which then turns into a green dot. To test if your phone has this feature, try making a video or a voice call. (Use an app; a regular phone call won't trigger these indicators.) Computers have similar features. On newer MacBooks, you'll see a green light next to the camera when it's on, and a microphone icon in the status bar at the top.
Use physical covers or blockers for your phone's microphone and camera. If you want to be extra cautious, you can use stickers, tape, or specially designed covers to block the lenses of your cameras or the holes of your microphones. This way, even if someone manages to access your sensors remotely, they won't be able to see or hear anything. You can also use headphones or earphones with a built-in microphone instead of using your phone's microphone.
Keep your phone's software updated. Software updates often include security patches that fix vulnerabilities that could be exploited by hackers or spyware. Make sure you install the latest updates for your phone's operating system and apps as soon as they are available. You can also use antivirus or anti-malware software to scan your phone for any malicious programs or files.
By following these tips, you can reduce the risk of being spied on through your phone's microphone and camera. Remember, your phone is not just a device, but also a window into your life. Protect it well.
References:
[Facebook admits paying hundreds of contractors to transcribe clips of audio from users of its services]
[Google removes 20 apps that spied on users from its Play Store]
[Popular flashlight app caught secretly recording audio]
[Optic Nerve: millions of Yahoo webcam images intercepted by GCHQ]
[The NSA has a secret agenda: Spying on your home's Internet of Things]
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