NH - A 48-year-old Chestnut Street man was arrested early this morning for wiretapping for allegedly recording police while they were investigating him for driving while intoxicated.
Police say they were patrolling the downtown area at 2:54 a.m. when they discovered Christopher A. Power of 52 Chestnut St. sitting in the driver's seat of a vehicle with its motor running at the Rochester Common.
After speaking with Power, police began investigating him for driving while intoxicated and arrested him. During the arrest an audio recording device was discovered.
"During a search after the arrest an audio recorder was discovered on the driver's seat cushion," Capt. Paul Callaghan said. "The officer noticed that the recorder was recording."
Power was charged with driving while intoxicated and wiretapping, which is a Class B felony. (more)
Defense #1: How does a voice recorder constitute a wiretap?
Defense #2: "Iwasss jus sittin' here praktesing my kerreeeokee-ookeeeydoookeeeyy?" (hiccup)
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Monday, May 7, 2007
Just wait until they get a Cook Island "video spycam" dollar!
An odd-looking Canadian coin with a bright red flower was the culprit behind a U.S. Defense Department false espionage warning earlier this year about mysterious coin-like objects with radio frequency transmitters, The Associated Press has learned. The harmless "poppy coin" was so unfamiliar to suspicious U.S. Army contractors traveling in Canada that they filed confidential espionage accounts about them. The worried contractors described the coins as "anomalous" and "filled with something man-made that looked like nano-technology," according to once-classified U.S. government reports and e-mails obtained by the AP.
The silver-colored 25-cent piece features the red image of a poppy — Canada's flower of remembrance — inlaid over a maple leaf. The unorthodox quarter is identical to the coins pictured and described as suspicious in the contractors' accounts. (more)
To commemorate the 80th anniversary of the first television, the Cook Islands issued a 39mm copper-nickel 1 Dollar coin in 2006. Pictured on the coin is a black and white picture of John L. Baird, the first successful inventor of electronic television, and a moving recreation of his first broadcast; a hand moving in front of a puppet. The obverse pictures Queen Elizabeth... (more)
They wouldn't have tried this with Genghis Khan
Mongolia - Legal enforcement agencies have been accused of listening in on telephone conversations, a totally unacceptable encroachment on the privacy of individuals guaranteed by Mongolian laws and democratic norms.
The Niigmiin Toli (“Social Mirror”) published on Monday a list of around 300 mobile telephone subscribers, including individuals and organizations, whose lines are regularly tapped. These included at least two diplomatic missions, two international aid organizations, business companies, some of them foreign-invested, mining companies, and banks. This was followed by a list of 200 names on Tuesday, and again 300 on Wednesday. The lists now have become a virtual Who’s Who in Mongolian politics and business, as well as diplomacy and foreign aid.
The newspaper also claims that certain numbers in the name of the President of Mongolia, N. Enkhbayar, as also of the Prime Minister, M. Enkhbold, are under such surveillance. (more)
The Niigmiin Toli (“Social Mirror”) published on Monday a list of around 300 mobile telephone subscribers, including individuals and organizations, whose lines are regularly tapped. These included at least two diplomatic missions, two international aid organizations, business companies, some of them foreign-invested, mining companies, and banks. This was followed by a list of 200 names on Tuesday, and again 300 on Wednesday. The lists now have become a virtual Who’s Who in Mongolian politics and business, as well as diplomacy and foreign aid.
The newspaper also claims that certain numbers in the name of the President of Mongolia, N. Enkhbayar, as also of the Prime Minister, M. Enkhbold, are under such surveillance. (more)
VoIP eavesdropping rules face mounting challenge
New US rules forcing ISPs and universities to rewire their networks for FBI surveillance of email and Web browsing are being challenged in court.
Telecommunications firms, non-profit organisations and educators are asking the US Court of Appeals in Washington DC to overturn the controversial rules, which dramatically extend the sweep of an 11-year-old surveillance law designed to guarantee police the ability to eavesdrop on telephone calls. (more)
Telecommunications firms, non-profit organisations and educators are asking the US Court of Appeals in Washington DC to overturn the controversial rules, which dramatically extend the sweep of an 11-year-old surveillance law designed to guarantee police the ability to eavesdrop on telephone calls. (more)
Mom's snooping on daughter violated privacy act
WA - In a victory for rebellious teenagers everywhere, the state Supreme Court ruled yesterday that a mother violated Washington's privacy act by eavesdropping on her daughter's phone conversation.
"It's ridiculous! Kids have more rights than parents these days," said Carmen Dixon, 47, of Friday Harbor. "My daughter was out of control, and that was the only way I could get information and keep track of her. I did it all the time."
The Supreme Court ruled that Dixon's testimony against a friend of her daughter's should not have been admitted in court because it was based on the intercepted conversation.
The justices unanimously ordered a new trial for Oliver Christensen, who had been convicted of second-degree robbery partly because of Dixon's testimony.
The case started with a purse snatching that shocked the island town of Friday Harbor, population 2,000. On Oct. 24, 2000, two young men knocked down an elderly woman, breaking her glasses, and stole her purse. Christensen, then 17, was a suspect.
When Christensen called the Dixon house later, Lacey Dixon, then 14, took the cordless phone into her bedroom and shut the door. Carmen Dixon hit the "speakerphone" button on the phone base and took notes on the conversation -- in which Christensen said he knew the whereabouts of the purloined purse.
The ruling will not likely result in parents being prosecuted for snooping, Cumming said. But it forbids courts and law enforcement from using the fruits of such snooping. (more) (more)
"It's ridiculous! Kids have more rights than parents these days," said Carmen Dixon, 47, of Friday Harbor. "My daughter was out of control, and that was the only way I could get information and keep track of her. I did it all the time."
The Supreme Court ruled that Dixon's testimony against a friend of her daughter's should not have been admitted in court because it was based on the intercepted conversation.
The justices unanimously ordered a new trial for Oliver Christensen, who had been convicted of second-degree robbery partly because of Dixon's testimony.
The case started with a purse snatching that shocked the island town of Friday Harbor, population 2,000. On Oct. 24, 2000, two young men knocked down an elderly woman, breaking her glasses, and stole her purse. Christensen, then 17, was a suspect.
When Christensen called the Dixon house later, Lacey Dixon, then 14, took the cordless phone into her bedroom and shut the door. Carmen Dixon hit the "speakerphone" button on the phone base and took notes on the conversation -- in which Christensen said he knew the whereabouts of the purloined purse.
The ruling will not likely result in parents being prosecuted for snooping, Cumming said. But it forbids courts and law enforcement from using the fruits of such snooping. (more) (more)
Sunday, May 6, 2007
Philippine Ex-President Wiretapped (update)
Police and telecommunication officials confirmed on Thursday that a bugging device had been discovered attached to the telephone lines of former president Corazon Aquino in Quezon City.
Technicians found the device installed inside a main junction box on Times Street, where telephones in Aquino’s neighborhood are connected. The report said the technicians removed the device from the PLDT box and brought it to their office where they confirmed that it is an electronic listening device.
The back story...
Aquino (who suspects this was an illegal government operation), once one of President Arroyo’s closest allies, became one of the critics of the administration at the height of the "Hello Garci" controversy in July 2005. (more)
The former president had called on Mrs. Arroyo "to make the supreme sacrifice" and turn-over the presidency to Vice-President Noli de Castro at the height of the scandal triggered by taped conversations between the President and then Election Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano that purportedly showed that they conspired to rig the 2004 presidential election.
Technicians found the device installed inside a main junction box on Times Street, where telephones in Aquino’s neighborhood are connected. The report said the technicians removed the device from the PLDT box and brought it to their office where they confirmed that it is an electronic listening device.
The back story...
Aquino (who suspects this was an illegal government operation), once one of President Arroyo’s closest allies, became one of the critics of the administration at the height of the "Hello Garci" controversy in July 2005. (more)
The former president had called on Mrs. Arroyo "to make the supreme sacrifice" and turn-over the presidency to Vice-President Noli de Castro at the height of the scandal triggered by taped conversations between the President and then Election Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano that purportedly showed that they conspired to rig the 2004 presidential election.
Saturday, May 5, 2007
The Yin & Yang of Wireless Baby Monitors
Historically, wireless baby monitor transmissions have been notoriously easy to intercept. Plug one in and the whole neighborhood can hear your tyke strike, your wing-nut mutt, not to mention your marital argumentals.In short, millions have bugged their own homes and then wondered why the neighbors are giving them strange looks.
Burglars have found wireless baby monitors to be as handy as an unlocked door or open window. Hearing that a house is empty is considered risk-management in their line of work. "Tanks fur da help, lady!"
All of this has not been lost on The Great American Entrepreneur... Hey, if we could scare them into buying the first one, we can scare them into buying an eavesdropping-resistant second one!
from the seller's web site...
"Imagine what would happen if someone could listen to conversations going on in your house. What kind of sensitive information could you be talking about? How might a potential thief, kidnapper, or rapist benefit from knowing your daily routine?" ... The WireFree system uses a 900 MHz digitally secure radio link between units to keep your conversations private. Even other WireFree units not programmed for your network can't hear your conversations. (more)
Only $119.97 for a set of two!
But wait!
There's more!
Consider the dark side of this offer... Hummmm.
Let's see... That's about $60. per voice activated Digital Bug. ...and for a total of $359.91 you get four bugs, a listening post receiver, and a back-up spare bug to keep on the shelf!
Friday, May 4, 2007
Secrets Away
Canadian transportation manufacturer Bombardier declined to comment Wednesday on a report that foreign technicians were caught stealing secrets at one of its Montreal plants last year.
The newspaper report said that Chinese technicians were especially interested in computer files at one of the jet-assembly plants and that Bombardier tried to keep the incident under wraps.
Isabelle Rondeau, a Bombardier spokeswoman, refused to comment on the story and referred calls to the company's aerospace division.
Bombardier Aerospace did not return repeated calls. (more)
The newspaper report said that Chinese technicians were especially interested in computer files at one of the jet-assembly plants and that Bombardier tried to keep the incident under wraps.
Isabelle Rondeau, a Bombardier spokeswoman, refused to comment on the story and referred calls to the company's aerospace division.
Bombardier Aerospace did not return repeated calls. (more)
You're it!
Philippines - Lacson tags ISAFP in wiretapping of Cory house
Opposition Sen. Panfilo Lacson accused the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) yesterday of tapping the home phone of former President Corazon Aquino.
"I just got information from my mole in ISAFP. It’s them," Lacson, who was Philippine National Police (PNP) chief during the Estrada administration, told reporters.
Military intelligence officers have denied that their agency was the culprit, saying the electronic surveillance was so crude it could not have been their work.
Malacañang also denied it was behind the tapping of Mrs. Aquino’s phone in her house on Times Street in Quezon City.
Lacson said aside from the information he received from his source, he based his conclusion on the kind of wiretapping equipment discovered at a phone junction box near the former president’s residence.
"These are the old equipment we turned over to ISAFP. I am surprised that up to now, they are using them. But when we were using the equipment, we were covered by court orders. We used them only in KFR (kidnap-for-ransom) cases," he said. (more)
Opposition Sen. Panfilo Lacson accused the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) yesterday of tapping the home phone of former President Corazon Aquino.
"I just got information from my mole in ISAFP. It’s them," Lacson, who was Philippine National Police (PNP) chief during the Estrada administration, told reporters.
Military intelligence officers have denied that their agency was the culprit, saying the electronic surveillance was so crude it could not have been their work.
Malacañang also denied it was behind the tapping of Mrs. Aquino’s phone in her house on Times Street in Quezon City.
Lacson said aside from the information he received from his source, he based his conclusion on the kind of wiretapping equipment discovered at a phone junction box near the former president’s residence.
"These are the old equipment we turned over to ISAFP. I am surprised that up to now, they are using them. But when we were using the equipment, we were covered by court orders. We used them only in KFR (kidnap-for-ransom) cases," he said. (more)
"...but, if we did have a reason we wouldn't tell you."
Philippines - Former President Fidel Ramos on Friday said he was also victimized by the illegal wiretapping just like former President Corazon Aquino, whose Quezon City residence was found bugged last Wednesday by still unidentified men.
“It is really saddening to have a former president, even just a former high official of the country, being bugged by somebody,” Ramos said.
He said he should know because he too was a victim of eavesdropping by people he does not know...
The military, which has the capability to wiretap phone lines, has denied involvement in the wiretapping of the Aquino residence.
AFP public information office chief Lt. Col. Bartolome Bacarro said they have no reason to wiretap the former president. (more)
“It is really saddening to have a former president, even just a former high official of the country, being bugged by somebody,” Ramos said.
He said he should know because he too was a victim of eavesdropping by people he does not know...
The military, which has the capability to wiretap phone lines, has denied involvement in the wiretapping of the Aquino residence.
AFP public information office chief Lt. Col. Bartolome Bacarro said they have no reason to wiretap the former president. (more)
I got your phone, and I am coming for your computer... maybe.
Trouble ahead for those wanting to monitor Internet-based callsThe telecommunications world was a much simpler place in 1994, when the U.S. Congress passed a landmark wiretapping law. At the time, the statute was meant to take advantage of the new fact that instead of doing wiretaps the old-fashioned way—by walking into a local phone company office with a warrant and some alligator clips—law enforcement officers now could conduct a wiretap centrally on a carrier's network by duplicating a phone call digitally and directing the copy to police headquarters.
Starting on 14 May, the 1994 law, the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA), will also apply to some voice over Internet Protocol providers, and the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation has asked that it eventually be extended to all Internet-based communications. The wiretapping statute was originally designed for traditional telephone companies, which use circuit switching to create a dedicated channel for each phone call. But today, using Internet telephony, almost anyone can be a telecommunications carrier, including Google, Skype, Vonage, and Yahoo, to name just four companies that didn't exist in 1994. (more)
Thursday, May 3, 2007
Just because you can, doesn't mean you should.
WA - Dozens of Gig Harbor High School students demonstrated outside the school Monday to protest an official's decision to show parents surveillance video of their daughter kissing another girl.
The controversy arose after the school's dean of students, Keith Nelson, saw the two kissing and holding hands and found video of it on the surveillance system. He showed it to the parents of one of the girls because they had asked to be kept apprised of her behavior.
The parents moved the girl to a different school district after watching it.
One student reporting the demonstration for the school paper, Amber Critchley, said the protesters believe it was an improper use of the surveillance video, which is primarily a security feature. (more)
Alternative scenario...
• Dean sees inappropriate conduct on school property.
• Parents have asked to be kept apprised of their child's conduct.
• Dean consults with school psychologist to determine the best way to proceed - taking into account the student's feelings as well as the parent's.
A private meeting ensues to discuss the issue. No publicity. No trust-crushing, embarrassing, jack-boot, roll-the-tape surveillance tactics. Some good comes of this for all concerned.
Wisely used, electronic surveillance remains a generally acceptable safety and security tool. Unwisely used, it degenerates into a distrusted and loathsome 1984 power-tool.
Before giving anyone a power-tool wouldn't training on safe and proper usage be appropriate?
Just a thought.
The controversy arose after the school's dean of students, Keith Nelson, saw the two kissing and holding hands and found video of it on the surveillance system. He showed it to the parents of one of the girls because they had asked to be kept apprised of her behavior.
The parents moved the girl to a different school district after watching it.
One student reporting the demonstration for the school paper, Amber Critchley, said the protesters believe it was an improper use of the surveillance video, which is primarily a security feature. (more)
Alternative scenario...
• Dean sees inappropriate conduct on school property.
• Parents have asked to be kept apprised of their child's conduct.
• Dean consults with school psychologist to determine the best way to proceed - taking into account the student's feelings as well as the parent's.
A private meeting ensues to discuss the issue. No publicity. No trust-crushing, embarrassing, jack-boot, roll-the-tape surveillance tactics. Some good comes of this for all concerned.
Wisely used, electronic surveillance remains a generally acceptable safety and security tool. Unwisely used, it degenerates into a distrusted and loathsome 1984 power-tool.
Before giving anyone a power-tool wouldn't training on safe and proper usage be appropriate?
Just a thought.
But hey, who's counting?
The number of domestic wiretap applications granted by US state judges rose 20 percent in 2006 to 1,378, while federal judges granted only 461 applications, a drop of 26 percent, according to a new report filed [press release] by the Administrative Office of the US Courts [official website]. The figures released Monday in the 2006 Wiretap Report [PDF, text] did not include national security wiretaps supposed to be cleared through the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, which were the subject of a separate report [PDF text; JURIST report] sent by the US Department of Justice to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi under the terms of the Patriot Act. (more)
Wiretap discovered near former President Aquino's home
Philippine phone company discovers alleged wiretap near former President Aquino's home...
Repairmen working near the home of former Philippine President Corazon Aquino found a tape recorder and alleged wiretapping device on her line in a telephone switching box, Philippine officials said Thursday.
Aquino, 74, a political icon who restored democracy in the Philippines after leading a 1986 "people power" revolt with mass protests, said she had suspected her phone was bugged "ever since the martial law" period in the 1970s.
"I've been through the worst times before," she told reporters. "All of us in the opposition then were almost sure our phones were bugged. Even when I was president, there was some wiretapping also."
She did not say who she thought might be wiretapping her phone. (more)
Repairmen working near the home of former Philippine President Corazon Aquino found a tape recorder and alleged wiretapping device on her line in a telephone switching box, Philippine officials said Thursday.
Aquino, 74, a political icon who restored democracy in the Philippines after leading a 1986 "people power" revolt with mass protests, said she had suspected her phone was bugged "ever since the martial law" period in the 1970s.
"I've been through the worst times before," she told reporters. "All of us in the opposition then were almost sure our phones were bugged. Even when I was president, there was some wiretapping also."
She did not say who she thought might be wiretapping her phone. (more)
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