Top 7 Creepy Ways You Are Being Spied On
We live in the modern world - a world that SOME may argue is eerily similar to the dystopian
landscape penned by George Orwell in his seminal novel, Nineteen Eighty-Four.
Although our digital achievements have ushered in a technological era unprecedented by the
evolution of the past, the ominous "Big Brother" is an ever-present and undeniably intrusive
part of our everyday lives.
Although conspiracy theorists have some looney ideas about the ways we're all being monitored
- fact is never TOO far removed from fiction.
Today, let's take a look at seven ways you are being spied on.
It's okay to break out that tin foil hat - you won't believe some of the ways your every
move is remembered.
We're a little paranoid, too.
Number seven - public cameras.
Let's get things started off somewhat lightly.
It's no secret - depending on where you live, odds are, you've noticed these highly mounted
fixtures peering down with their ever-watching lens.
The Department of Homeland Security has allegedly spent millions of dollars on high tech neighborhood
cameras alone, with figures growing exponentially every year.
Although ominous and largely unwelcome even to those with nothing to hide, statistics
have proven that neighborhoods and cities with a sufficient amount of monitoring have
enjoyed significantly reduced crime rates.
So, even though intrusive at its core - this is one of the surveillance methods on today's
list that's a BIT more pure in intention.
Hey - at least it works.
Number six - automatic number plate recognition.
Invented in 1976 at the Police Scientific Development Branch (located in the UK) and
first successfully used for an arrest in 1981 - ANPR technology uses optical character recognition
to read and record passing license plates.
Put into use by the police, pay-per-use tollroads and even for highway agency movement cataloging,
the use of infrared lighting makes its picture-taking abilities unlimited by environmental factors.
Long thought to be a form of mass surveillance with hoards of detractors accusing their usage
to have dubious and nefarious ulterior motives, ANPR is definitely not without merit - although
legitimate criticism and controversy HAS been raised in regards to the apparent skew toward
revenue over safety.
Number five - EXIF data.
Exchangeable image file format (or EXIF for short) is a standard used by digital cameras,
scanners and other media-storing devices to embed specific information in each and every
picture taken - metadata information like the photo's dimensions,shutter speed and white
balance.
However, EXIF data just happens to ALSO store facts about the camera's model, make, date,
time and even geolocation.
That's right - even novice computer users can quickly obtain cold, hard facts on your
exact whereabouts just from a photograph.
Forensic investigators and police alike easily obtain and use this footprint information
during a criminal investigation - making our photo-centric world just a little less private.
Number four - cookies.
Much like the way credit, loyalty and membership cards log and influence your every spending
habit, cookies (while deceptively tasty sounding) engage in some rather nasty tracking behavior
themselves - albeit a tad more inconspicuous.
Although a legitimate computer process necessary for smooth functioning, less scrupulous advertisers
compile your surfing habits (and the hidden stored files created on your computer) into
databases meant to track, identify and influence shopping and browser behavior.
This can be simply explained by moments when you'll see a small advertisement on an unrelated
page for a store or product you've visited before.
They're watching, and it's creepy.
Number three - Smart TVs.
The recent "smart" fad has manifested into virtually all forms of household electronics
- telephones, appliances and even televisions.
Equipped with voice recognition software and an ever-powered microphone, in theory - these
seemingly innocuous entertainment bells and whistles could actually be an audio gateway
into your living room.
Critics of the technology point out that despite the fact that none of the major manufacturers
offering the product have exemplified any sort of "spying" behavior thus far, their
audio feeds are easily accessible at any time of day.
Raising issues on protected speech and privacy, the recent wave of Smart TVs may or may not
prove to become a dangerous precedent of household monitoring.
Number two - department store mannequins.
Although not a widespread (or fully mainstream) implementation, mannequins, like EyeSee from
Italy's Almax SpA use hidden cameras, microphones and facial recognition software to track and
observe shoppers browsing the surrounding racks.
Unlike ceiling cameras, their eye level perspectives provide retailers with a fly-on-the-wall glimpse
into their customer's habits.
Although most people expect (to a reasonable degree) that they'll be photographed while
in a store, this intrusive and sneaky dummy-cam can impede on private conversations, causing
much debate to whether this form of shopper profiling is going just a bit too far.
Number one - the StingRay phone tracker.
This HIGHLY controversial cell phone surveillance device is one part Hackers, one part Bond
villain - coming in at the very top of our list.
Initially developed for use only by the military and intelligence communities, this IMSI-catcher
is now in widespread use by law enforcement throughout the United States (and possibly
covertly in other locations).
Capable of mimicking that of a wireless carrier cell tower, it forces all nearby mobile and
cellular devices to connect and share information to it.
Capable of recording incoming and outgoing numbers and even flashing firmware to "intercept
conversations using the device as a bug" - this device has frequently been surreptitiously
used without warrant in the past - causing a string of litigation controversy and continued
protest as to whether its good outweighs its scary.
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