CIA using Smartpones & SmartTVs to spy
WikiLeaks has recently posted leaked CIA documents that point to cyber-espionage using smartphones and smart TVs. This news has some people caught by surprise and fear. Not me. I would assume the CIA and NSA are doing these types of activities. In fact, I base this on the news from the last couple of decades.
In 2014 we heard of the NSA surveillance program.
In 2013 we found that some home appliances manufactured and shipped from China had wireless surveillance devices embedded in them.
In 2011 we found out that China was hacking individuals Gmail accounts on Google.
In 2008 The British GCHQ had collected and stored 1.8 million images of Yahoo users using yahoo messenger. (The Government Communications Headquarters (GHCQ) is a British intelligence and security organization.) This spying was also done on US and UK citizens.
Of course, it’s not just nation-states that are spying on you; corporations are getting in on it too. I am not talking about the apparent monitoring Google does to target ads for you. I am talking about Sony BMG.
Of course, most people would say it is harmless if you have nothing to hide. This attitude is a bit naïve. The governments of the world are always in flux, and no one knows who the next leader of a country will be and if your ideas will be opposed to that new party in power.
I have seen several posts on this complaining that Trump is trying to take over the world. Really? Do you think these programs sprung into existence less than two months ago? No, these programs were in place under the Obama administration. Some people would look the other way if they found out Obama was doing it. He would get a pass because people trust him. The problem is someone else will eventually be President and will inherit the powers of previous administrations. That is why we should be vigilant even when we support the cause or administration enacting surveillance programs.
That being said, I am not surprised at the actions of the CIA.
Should we bust out the tin foil hats? No. There is nothing that can stop them if they really wanted to spy on you. Most of the spying is done to catch other nations and protect you. Of course, powerful tools can be abused. It is good to have things like WikiLeaks, which some suggest put us at greater risk, and that is true we are at an increased risk security wise. However, our freedoms are at greater risk if we don’t have watchdog groups and WikiLeaks. I know it sounds contradictory, but maybe we need both.
