SmartPhones Listening In?

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Are smartphones listening in? Yes, but normally they are triggered by a keyword or key phrase. Like when you use Siri. Is it nefarious? Mostly it isn't. These are automated systems that mine some commercially useful data. Abuse can't be ruled out, however. Do you trust Google, Facebook, Twitter etc? Turn off Siri, Google OK, and Cortana. Various agencies can use your phone as a listening and tracking device whether or not the voice feature is on or not. If, and let me play the pronoun game, "they" are after you, humans will be the ones analyzing the gathered data. Paranoia is a trigger for self-fulfilling prophecies.
 
Originally Posted by hallstevenson
You got multiple confirmations that yes, they're listening. No "advice" though. If this concerns you, the only accurate advice is to get rid of the phone.


Getting rid of just the phone won't do it, though.
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Originally Posted by willbur
Should one put their smartphones in a box and in the closet when talking in the privacy of their homes?

If one isn't concerned, one shouldn't have one. The telephone manufacturers all got caught playing games with GPS location services still reporting when "turned off." I suspect they turned them off only until they found a better workaround. I wouldn't trust them not to listen in, either.
 
Turning off things on a smart phone is just a service status. Even the phone, when it's turned off, is not really turned off but is placed into a slow activity status.

So unless you remove the battery, it is possible to retain services while the device is turned off.
 
Cell Phones don't have removable batteries anymore? I just discussed battery-life on my 1-1/2 year-old LG yesterday. It now takes longer to charge and runs down faster. I was hoping to buy another battery. Otherwise, the phone runs like new and not looking to upgrade.
 
I'm not sure if they're actually removable or not (as in needing a replacement because one is on its last legs). I mean the way they used to be able to be swapped, as in one's dead and the other is in a charging stand and you just swap them out. It seems we've gone backwards in that regard. When I did have one, the battery was dead, I'd switch it out and be able to keep going. Now, everyone's running for chargers all the time.
 
Originally Posted by Triple_Se7en
Cell Phones don't have removable batteries anymore?
I think it's safe to say that batteries are replaceable in ALL phones still today but if you mean remove a cover, unclip the battery, put a new battery in, etc, no, that's not always the case. What phone do you have (exact brand, model #, etc, etc) ?
 
Originally Posted by vavavroom
Are smartphones listening in? Yes, but normally they are triggered by a keyword or key phrase.

That's what most people respond with to this question but it's deceiving (people are just repeating what Apple, Google, etc have told them). Yes, they are "triggered" by keywords but they always have to be listening to hear this keyword. Right now, if you were talking to someone with a smartphone next to you and say "hey, what do you want for dinner?", your phone hears that. It has to as it's always listening. It hears that phrase from you and says to itself, "nope, he didn't say 'OK, Google', don't do anything" or in the case of Apple, "Hey Siri".
 
Originally Posted by Garak
I suppose if Apple wants you to buy a new phone every couple years, it's in their best interest to not bother with readily replaceable batteries.


Then do O/S upgrades that rip the battery up.

My samsungs always had a replacable battery that I could put in a conditioner...my latest couple don't.
 
Originally Posted by Garak
I suppose if Apple wants you to buy a new phone every couple years, it's in their best interest to not bother with readily replaceable batteries.


Used to be that after two years the new hardware was so much faster and the new apps so bloated to run on the new hardware that no-one wanted to keep a two-year-old phone. Now it's mostly limited by when Apple drop support for the phone; which is more than two years.
 
Originally Posted by Shannow
Then do O/S upgrades that rip the battery up.

I forgot about that.

eng: Don't get me started on their support and software model. I know many people love their phones, but realistically, I'm not impressed with their capabilities in the least. They're like a multi-tool. They can do a lot of things in a passable fashion, but they really don't excel at any one of them.
 
Smartphone, speakers, streaming sticks with mic enabled remotes. Cars with wifi..no way out we're tracked listened in on and yes they're turning your phone cam on and using wifi cams that you buy for security to spy and peek in.
 
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