Is your smartphone listening to you?

Re:Is your smartphone listening to you? by drdaeman on Sunday June 05, 2016 @11:12AM (#11841371)

If your threat model concerns with hardware/firmware exploits, then you can't trust the physical switches unless they cut all the wires - and unless you can validate that this is what they do. Theoretically speaking, a malicious (or threatened/persuaded/forced) manufacturer may implement a non-standard way to power the supposedly disconnected component using still-connected wiring, to be used for a special occasions.

/tinfoil

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Is your smartphone listening to you? by nickpsecurity on Sunday June 05, 2016 @11:49AM (#11841531)

You should see my full write-up:

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10906999

I went into detail on what it takes on hardware side:

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10468624

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Is your smartphone listening to you? by sametmax on Sunday June 05, 2016 @01:19PM (#11841965)

This is why I got a shutter on m laptop camera. It's mechanicl, and I can see it's on or off. It should be a legal obligation to provide those, for camera and mic.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Is your smartphone listening to you? by markokrajnc on Sunday June 05, 2016 @01:44PM (#11842094)

Regarding "legal obligation": in some countries the government may be the second main user of your camera and mic - next to you...

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Is your smartphone listening to you? by sametmax on Monday June 06, 2016 @06:17AM (#11845662)

This is sadly true.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Is your smartphone listening to you? by jimhefferon on Sunday June 05, 2016 @02:10PM (#11842229)

I want a DPDT switch that sits between the mic and the rest of the phone. That seems do-able to me.

I use masking tape over the camera, so I'm looking for a similar microphone solution.

(I don't want it inside the case, since I want to be able to flip the switch conveniently. Likewise, removing the battery is not what I want.)

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Is your smartphone listening to you? by willholloway on Sunday June 05, 2016 @12:25PM (#11841677)

Agreed, which is why I believe sound proof cases are the only sensible approach, and work with all current consumer devices.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Is your smartphone listening to you? by MrMid on Sunday June 05, 2016 @07:10PM (#11843642)

Well, I just.. disconnected the mic in my laptop, the day it arrived (there is no webcam). As phones are concerned, I use my trusty SE ELM featurephone, so I'm not very worried about Googles, Facebooks, Samsunsungs...

[ Parent | on HN ]