#Phone spyware detection

[onemonitarsoftware]

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[ausetkmt]

In recent years, commercial spyware has been deployed by more actors against a wider range of victims, but the prevailing narrative has still been that the malware is used in targeted attacks against an extremely small number of people. At the same time, though, it has been difficult to check devices for infection, leading individuals to navigate an ad hoc array of academic institutions and NGOs that have been on the front lines of developing forensic techniques to detect mobile spyware. On Tuesday, the mobile device security firm iVerify is publishing findings from a spyware detection feature it launched in May. Of 2,500 device scans that the company's customers elected to submit for inspection, seven revealed infections by the notorious NSO Group malware known as Pegasus.

The company’s Mobile Threat Hunting feature uses a combination of malware signature-based detection, heuristics, and machine learning to look for anomalies in iOS and Android device activity or telltale signs of spyware infection. For paying iVerify customers, the tool regularly checks devices for potential compromise. But the company also offers a free version of the feature for anyone who downloads the iVerify Basics app for $1. These users can walk through steps to generate and send a special diagnostic utility file to iVerify and receive analysis within hours. Free users can use the tool once a month. iVerify's infrastructure is built to be privacy-preserving, but to run the Mobile Threat Hunting feature, users must enter an email address so the company has a way to contact them if a scan turns up spyware—as it did in the seven recent Pegasus discoveries.

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“The really fascinating thing is that the people who were targeted were not just journalists and activists, but business leaders, people running commercial enterprises, people in government positions,” says Rocky Cole, chief operating officer of iVerify and a former US National Security Agency analyst. “It looks a lot more like the targeting profile of your average piece of malware or your average APT group than it does the narrative that’s been out there that mercenary spyware is being abused to target activists. It is doing that, absolutely, but this cross section of society was surprising to find.”

Seven out of 2,500 scans may sound like a small group, especially in the somewhat self-selecting customer base of iVerify users, whether paying or free, who want to be monitoring their mobile device security at all, much less checking specifically for spyware. But the fact that the tool has already found a handful of infections at all speaks to how widely the use of spyware has proliferated around the world. Having an easy tool for diagnosing spyware compromises may well expand the picture of just how often such malware is being used.

“NSO Group sells its products exclusively to vetted US & Israel-allied intelligence and law enforcement agencies,” NSO Group spokesperson Gil Lainer told WIRED in a statement. "Our customers use these technologies daily.”

iVerify vice president of research Matthias Frielingsdorf will present the group's Pegasus findings at the Objective by the Sea security conference in Maui, Hawaii on Friday. He says that it took significant investment to develop the detection tool because mobile operating systems like Android, and particularly iOS, are more locked down than traditional desktop operating systems and don't allow monitoring software to have kernel access at the heart of the system. Cole says that the crucial insight was to use telemetry taken from as close to the kernel as possible to tune machine learning models for detection. Some spyware, like Pegasus, also has characteristic traits that make it easier to flag. In the seven detections, Mobile Threat Hunting caught Pegasus using diagnostic data, shutdown logs, and crash logs. But the challenge, Cole says, is in refining mobile monitoring tools to reduce false positives.

Developing the detection capability has already been invaluable, though. Cole says that it helped iVerify identify signs of compromise on the smartphone of Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a lawyer and Sikh political activist who was the target of an alleged, foiled assassination attempt by an Indian government employee in New York City. The Mobile Threat Hunting feature also flagged suspected nation state activity on the mobile devices of two Harris-Walz campaign officials—a senior member of the campaign and an IT department member—during the presidential race.

“The age of assuming that iPhones and Android phones are safe out of the box is over,” Cole says. “The sorts of capabilities to know if your phone has spyware on it were not widespread. There were technical barriers and it was leaving a lot of people behind. Now you have the ability to know if your phone is infected with commercial spyware. And the rate is much higher than the prevailing narrative.”

[bob3160]

Spyware Could Be Spying on Your Phone Right Now! Here’s How to Kick It t...

[mariacallous]

In recent years, commercial spyware has been deployed by more actors against a wider range of victims, but the prevailing narrative has still been that the malware is used in targeted attacks against an extremely small number of people. At the same time, though, it has been difficult to check devices for infection, leading individuals to navigate an ad hoc array of academic institutions and NGOs that have been on the front lines of developing forensic techniques to detect mobile spyware. On Tuesday, the mobile device security firm iVerify is publishing findings from a spyware detection feature it launched in May. Of 2,500 device scans that the company's customers elected to submit for inspection, seven revealed infections by the notorious NSO Group malware known as Pegasus.

The company’s Mobile Threat Hunting feature uses a combination of malware signature-based detection, heuristics, and machine learning to look for anomalies in iOS and Android device activity or telltale signs of spyware infection. For paying iVerify customers, the tool regularly checks devices for potential compromise. But the company also offers a free version of the feature for anyone who downloads the iVerify Basics app for $1. These users can walk through steps to generate and send a special diagnostic utility file to iVerify and receive analysis within hours. Free users can use the tool once a month. iVerify's infrastructure is built to be privacy-preserving, but to run the Mobile Threat Hunting feature, users must enter an email address so the company has a way to contact them if a scan turns up spyware—as it did in the seven recent Pegasus discoveries.

“The really fascinating thing is that the people who were targeted were not just journalists and activists, but business leaders, people running commercial enterprises, people in government positions,” says Rocky Cole, chief operating officer of iVerify and a former US National Security Agency analyst. “It looks a lot more like the targeting profile of your average piece of malware or your average APT group than it does the narrative that’s been out there that mercenary spyware is being abused to target activists. It is doing that, absolutely, but this cross section of society was surprising to find.”

Seven out of 2,500 scans may sound like a small group, especially in the somewhat self-selecting customer base of iVerify users, whether paying or free, who want to be monitoring their mobile device security at all, much less checking specifically for spyware. But the fact that the tool has already found a handful of infections at all speaks to how widely the use of spyware has proliferated around the world. Having an easy tool for diagnosing spyware compromises may well expand the picture of just how often such malware is being used.

“NSO Group sells its products exclusively to vetted US & Israel-allied intelligence and law enforcement agencies,” NSO Group spokesperson Gil Lainer told WIRED in a statement. "Our customers use these technologies daily.”

iVerify vice president of research Matthias Frielingsdorf will present the group's Pegasus findings at the Objective by the Sea security conference in Maui, Hawaii on Friday. He says that it took significant investment to develop the detection tool because mobile operating systems like Android, and particularly iOS, are more locked down than traditional desktop operating systems and don't allow monitoring software to have kernel access at the heart of the system. Cole says that the crucial insight was to use telemetry taken from as close to the kernel as possible to tune machine learning models for detection. Some spyware, like Pegasus, also has characteristic traits that make it easier to flag. In the seven detections, Mobile Threat Hunting caught Pegasus using diagnostic data, shutdown logs, and crash logs. But the challenge, Cole says, is in refining mobile monitoring tools to reduce false positives.

Developing the detection capability has already been invaluable, though. Cole says that it helped iVerify identify signs of compromise on the smartphone of Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a lawyer and Sikh political activist who was the target of an alleged, foiled assassination attempt by an Indian government employee in New York City. The Mobile Threat Hunting feature also flagged suspected nation state activity on the mobile devices of two Harris-Walz campaign officials—a senior member of the campaign and an IT department member—during the presidential race.

“The age of assuming that iPhones and Android phones are safe out of the box is over,” Cole says. “The sorts of capabilities to know if your phone has spyware on it were not widespread. There were technical barriers and it was leaving a lot of people behind. Now you have the ability to know if your phone is infected with commercial spyware. And the rate is much higher than the prevailing narrative.”

[bananaguyboi]

Posting my Yandere simulator idea here because I felt salty for waiting an hour on r/osana, only for it not to get attention >:(

Yeah, call me petty, and impatient but c'mon man, I wasted 1 hour writing this skskksksks- and I also want to quickly hear people's ideas and suggestion soooo-

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𝙈𝙮 𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙖 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙎𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙈𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙙

Inspired by u/LuckyLyre's idea where instead of Info-san saying who the rival is, and telling us instructions on how to kill them.

What if We, The player, had the option to collect information about the rivals, and senpai by stalking them?

Like think of it like this, on the start of the game, You 𝘿𝙊𝙉'𝙏 know anyone other than their names, the rumors you've heard about them, or what club they're in. Hell, you don't even know much about senpai, or who your next Rival would be. You kinda just have to figure out as the week passes.

𝘕𝘰𝘸 𝘛𝘏𝘐𝘚 𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘯 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘴, 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦.

You can either do 𝙎𝙪𝙧𝙫𝙚𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙎𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜. You know, by following the individual around, even following them outside of school. Observing what places they like, and avoid. Secretly eavesdropping them arguing on their phone. Breaking, and entering into the individuals house without them knowing. Look through their private journal. Rummaging through their bag, and lockers, and even try stealing their valuable stuff. Breaking and entering again- So on, and so forth.

On the other hand, you can try 𝘾𝙮𝙗𝙚𝙧 𝙎𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜, where you stalk the individual on the internet. You know the drill. Look into what hobbies they're in, complaints about life, and their usual posts. Or try Installing a spyware/tracking software on their devices. Then, look into their private account, and maybe try hacking it to see some private information. You can even dm the individual's personal hater, or creepy fan to join forces with you, because yeah, why not🤷 You can blackmail, doxxed, expose the individual for their nasty work, or befriend some of them, and just be a toxic person while still remaining charismatic, and seemingly friendly to manipulate, and let them do dirty work for you lol.

( Also, I'm not sure on how Ayano would know how to doxxed, or hack someone since in this concept/method, info-chan's existence is completely 𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙙 because i thought she was unnecessary lol, so feel free to tell me ideas me in the comments, It'd be a huge help! )

Anyways- 𝘼𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙎𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙄𝙙𝙚𝙖 is you could try looking into the rumors/ gossips of the certain individual. Ok, alright, i know this isn't really stalking, but I thought it'd be a fun addition.

Obviously, you don't have to talk, and ask about the individual's info all the time, but you can sneakily add them in the conversation without the person knowing because yeah, ✨charisma✨, and the person would slowly go through the gossips they heard, what they saw the individual do, or just bad mouth about them idk lol.

And now after gathering all the information, you get to use your phone, notebook, or the board thing at home to document on what you discovered, and how this could possibly be of help to you, like you're some some kind of detective investigating a crime scene lol. ( Well, you don't really have to write it manually, the game will handle that for you lol, so whenever you discover a new information, it will automatically update your phone, or notebook sksks )

( Also, My idea for the notebook/phone system is kinda the same as the 1980's mode, except it's more vague about the instructions you're given, and you have to explore the school to know what it means Plus, I thought it’d be fire if the notebook had sketches/ drawings in it suggesting ideas on how to kill, while still not saying exactly how to. Like drawing 'osana's hair getting stuck in something' Type of stuff

And you know what? these drawings would play a HUGE factor of showing Ayano's sanity. Like just imagine early-on the game, the drawings looks innocent, and simple, just a rough drawing of an object here and there, But as you kill more, and more people, the drawings gets more detailed, more unhinged and more unsettling. Idkk lol, just a fun idea hehehehe )

Now back to the topic of stalking! How does this help in identifying the rivals? 𝘽𝙮 𝙤𝙗𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙎𝙚𝙣𝙥𝙖𝙞, 𝙤𝙛 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚!

You'll learn who he talks to the most, and just process the info about the girls, and distinguish them from the actual rivals. Like- Didn't you just observe the way that lady just twirl their hair as they speak to senpai? or the way other lady puts on their lipstick, and makes high pitch screeches as senpai enters the room? Oh? What's that? The lady who was violents moments ago is now looking like an angel infront of senpai? And the stoic, and stubborn know-it-all is smiling gently whenever senpai praise them?? What do you mean the very sad, depressed girl is now beaming with sunshines, and rainbow whenever senpai ever slightly walk near them? Pssshht, there's no way they're the rivals, amirite guys😊😊?

Yeahhhhh, it's kinda easy spotting who the rival is because i didn't want this to be too complicated, but to add challenge to this, there are other ladies who are flocking in senpai's way who AREN't rivals, but just happen to have a crush on senpai. THE REAL RIVALS are the person who makes their first move, and ACTUALLY TALKS TO HIM SKSKS

I know this might sound too complex for the game, but I honestly prefer it this way because it makes me feel smart, and it rewards me for gathering info. It also gives you a consequences, like imagine wrongfully targeting some girl, and getting exposed for it💀 lol

The BACKLASH you have to deal with would be wilddd

𝘼𝙣𝙮𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨- 𝘿𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙜𝙪𝙮𝙨 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙨/𝙨𝙪𝙜𝙜𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙚? 𝘽𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙄 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙤𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙥𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙙, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙨𝙮𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙢 !!

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I just copy and pasted what I said there because yeahhhhhhhh- also please do leave suggestions, I'm desperate ya'll😭😭

[fireflowersims]

We haven't learned. We haven't learned shit at all.

My country's wealth is directly linked to the exploitation and colonization of other peoples. We call the violent acts commited in Indonesia after ww2 "police actions" as if it wasn't horrific crimes against people who were (justifiably) tired of being occupied and abused by foreign invaders and colonizing dickhats.

Sure, we "lost" the Dutch East Indies. We are not actively colonizing anymore. And yet, we still haven't learned a thing. That "VOC mentality" was never gone, it's still there. It's that mentality of thinking business above everything else, money makes right, who cares how horrifically you abuse people, who cares about the massacre of the Banda islands when you now have all the yummy nutmeg to use and sell. It's not something to be admired, it's something we have to address and resolve, but we're not. We're not doing that, but we have to if we ever want justice of any kind.

We're ruled by dickheads who think that saying "from the river to the sea" is a hatecrime that should be condemned. "Yeah sure, you would've probably said the same thing about the utterance of "Republik Indonesia" less than 100 years ago, no?" is what I say to that. We have not successfully freed ourselves of this damn colonizer mindset!

The only reason the Netherlands ever stopped the "police actions" is because we were threatened with sanctions. Post WW2, it was stop the "police actions" (read: many war crimes) or lose the money from the Marshall Plan needed to rebuild your ruined country. The choice was easy enough.

But noooooo, we can't sanction Israel to get them to, ya know, STOP BOMBING HOSPITALS, SCHOOLS AND CIVILIANS IN GENERAL!!! They're our friends! Fuck no. I know why those asshats ain't sanctioning Israel (at least one of the reasons): they'd lose access to fucking Pegasus; spyware surpreme. Wanna spy on some journalists? Perhaps the opposition? Scary activists? Pegasus is THE spyware for you! Infect ppl's phones and suck up All Teh Data wihout them knowing. Suspected detection of the stuff somehow? Self-destruct, boom. Fantastic stuff if you're into violating ppl's privacy. I don't see this talked about a lot, but Israel is Scary in the cyberwarfare department. And they sell this expertise.

I support Palestine. I hope to see it freed someday. Hopefully soon

To Israel(is): decolonize ur shit. I know, it's hard, it's painful, you'll have to question and unlearn a lot of things. Heck, it may give you an existential and/or moral crisis for a bit. I still get one about nutmeg sometimes. But just like desinfecting a wound, it is ultimately beneficial.

PALESTINIAN PEOPLE DESERVE LIFE AS MUCH AS ANY OTHER PEOPLE

[sneakymystique]

Assets controlled by Mystique

What kind of companies would a billionaire shapeshifter illicitly own to further her agenda? My thoughts.

A Shipping company

Moving large cargoes, no questions asked.

An air freight company

For the same reason, faster but stricter security protocols make it riskier.

Rail freight companies SOLD

Likely owned several, but sold as freight moved away from rail.

Multiple private security companies around the world

Hired muscle is much more dependable when it's given a job for life (even if it's short).

Multiple Detective agencies

Often spying needs subcontractors. These companies operate as fronts for her intelligence gathering operations

A major weapons company with R&D facilities

You can never have enough weapons, the more advanced the better.

Cellphone Networks (Monopoly control)

This is a big one. Governments need warrants to tap people's phones, control the company and you can set up a secret unit to do it whenever you want.

Social Networks (Monopoly control)

Another big one. All that personal data at her fingertips? It's like a buffet for a metamorph.

Satellite Operator

Surveillance is so much easier when nobody knows you're watching.

Voice controlled technology companies (Monopoly control)

Is your washing machine or other domestic appliances listening to you? If Mystique can help it, yes.

Media Conglomerates

It's so much easier to plant a story when you control the platform. William Randolph Hearst? Guess who he worked for.

A pharmaceutical company

Someone's got to supply all those poisons and create inventive new ones!

Antivirus companies (Monopoly control)

Spyware isn't spyware when it's a part of an antivirus package.

Government outsourcing contractors

A government makes a decision, hires a company to implement it, suddenly that government decision becomes something else entirely due to bureaucratic error.

Major HR agencies

SHIELD is recruiting for cleaners? Here's a list of candidates, some of which will be working for...well they don't know who exactly.

Car component manufacturer

Modern cars contain a lot of software, often tracking a vehicle's location and even allowing for remote control. Car crashes are so tragically common.

What form Mystique's control takes could be varied. Sole ownership under an alias, a controlling stake under multiple aliases or simply a Chief Executive bribed or intimidated to do whatever she requires. She's a very busy woman, a spider in a web that most will never even see.

If I've missed anything message me and I'll add!

[reinaazarolla]

Is that REINA AZAROLLA? A SENIOR originally from SEVILLE, SPAIN, they decided to come to Ogden College to study SOCIOLOGY. They’re THE EXCHANGE STUDENT on campus, but even they could get blamed for Greer’s disappearance.

This is additional and updated info for the new school year (2023-2024). Original intro can be found here.

APPEARANCE (UPDATED)

HAIR COLOR → naturally dark brown, currently blonde TATTOOS → small paper airplane outline on the inside of her right ring finger. new addition is a small camera outline on the side of her right index finger courtesy of Link SCARS → some scarring from the fire at the commons. most noticeable is upper left thigh wrapping from the front to the side. less noticeable are some spots on her right forearm. almost nonexistent, small burn her neck left side closer to the back. the best medical treatment her parents could find helped her heal. PIERCINGS → two in each lobe and one helix, left ear. new addition is a nose piercing, small stud on right side

FAMILY INFORMATION (UPDATED)

PETS → german shepard (male) named baltasar

SCHOOL YEAR 2022-2023 RECAP

hospital/medical/surgical mention tw

First semester, she studied abroad in Portugal.

Second semester, luckily she didn't have too many encounters with G but she was determined to try to find them.

She became a bit obsessed, even thought about hiring a private investigator.

School year ended with a bang, she got trapped in the commons when the fire started and thought the best route of escape was straight through the flames. It did not end well. The next thing she knew she was waking up in the hospital.

SUMMER SHENANIGANS

Since Reina was seriously injured at the end of the school year her parents were extra protective. Here are some highlights:

hospital/medical/surgical mention tw, drug use tw

Reina was not allowed to travel alone and her parents basically took her phone away. They got her a new one with a new number and everything but they put spyware on it as a safety precaution.

They kept her old phone to monitor as well in case G reached out.

She was strongly discouraged to post on social media or reach out to friends (this is an ic excuse for my ooc disappearance and not being active during the "summer" months lol)

She traveled around Europe with her parents to the best doctors to treat her burns and even got some skin graft done on the worst of the burns of her arm and neck. Other treatments like ointments were used to help with the scarring.

Reina was assigned a body guard, courtesy of her father.

The first half of the summer she stayed with her mom who was traveling around Europe for work. Some nights she'd sneak out and go clubbing or find whatever seedy party/rave she could and indulge in drink and drugs - she wasn't coping well with how the school year ended.

The second half of the summer was spent at their current home in Berlin where she spent a lot of time with her dad.

She learned a lot more of both her parent's jobs during this time together.

Her parents got her a german shepard to help her cope but also another protection measure.

She got a nose piercing.

She dyed her hair blonde, at one point she thought about shaving her head but was talked out of it.

POTENTIAL PLOTS

Literally down for any plot, these are some off the top of my head. Message me if interested.

Detective Buddies - Reina isn't as obsessed to find G as she was last year but I could see herself potentially getting into some trouble teaming up with someone who wants to end this hell as much as she does. She also may want some revenge.

Fake Dating - She's a lesbian and most people know that but she wouldn't be opposed to fake dating with any gender. She can be someone's beard for all she cares. Have I been getting a lot of fake dating book recs on TikTok lately...shhhh we don't need to talk about it lol

more to be added...I skipped to the connections and now I can't think of other plots

WANTED CONNECTIONS

Again, literally down for anything. Message me if interested in any of these or you have some other ideas!

If I mislabeled our connections or forgot them please let me know! My brain is tired. I did leave out generic friends and acquaintance labels.

Study buddies - Whether they study together in silence or there is tutoring involved, they can bond over academics. (1 /∞) one spot taken by @montyrichler

Past Fling - Nothing serious, or at least no one admitted serious feelings. (1/5) one spot taken by @mari-zuko

Frenemies - Friends in public, enemies in private, or vice versa. (0/??)

Confidant - Someone Reina can tell anything to, or maybe Reina is your muses confidant. They can be each other's confidant too. (0/2) two spots open if Reina and your muse are not each other's confidants.

Current fling - When the nights get lonely and the are you up or wyd texts get sent. (0/??)

more to be added

[jcmarchi]

Is your iPhone listening to you? Here's what to know... - CyberTalk

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/is-your-iphone-listening-to-you-heres-what-to-know-cybertalk/

Is your iPhone listening to you? Here's what to know... - CyberTalk

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

Have you ever found yourself wondering about whether (or not) your iPhone is listening to you? If the phone is on your person nearly 24/7, what is it hearing that you might prefer for someone not to know about or use against you? (For example, that shouting match with your spouse)

As great as the iPhone is – it’s one of the best, if not the best phone around – it’s awkward to feel like you’re continually being overheard by an invisible third-party.

So, what’s really happening? In this article, discover the truth behind iPhone eavesdropping myths, unravel misconceptions and maximize your phone’s potential.

Gain insights into the nuances of iPhone listening (or lack thereof) and see how to protect your privacy in an era rife with hacking and data compromises.

Is your iPhone listening to you?

It’s true that your iPhone might be passively listening, but perhaps not in the lawless, intrusive ways that you might imagine. Apple does not sell data to third-parties for marketing purposes. The company has explicitly stated that:

“The customer is not our product and our business model does not depend on collecting vast amounts of personally identifiable information…,” in response to a 2018 U.S. congressional inquiry.

If that’s the case, why are iPhones listening?

One of the primary reasons as to why iPhone listening occurs is to detect voice commands, like “Hey Siri”.

While highly unlikely due to Apple’s rules and compliance processes, apps could also be “listening”.

When it comes to advertising, the term “listening” really refers to the use of sophisticated machine learning algorithms, which parse apart language to find ad targeting opportunities.

It’s probably not a coincidence if you’ve had a conversation about buying a new car, and shortly thereafter, corresponding advertisements appear.

Note: This isn’t at all common to iPhones, unless they’ve been jailbroken, and typically only occurs on other device types.

What about Siri?

Siri continuously “listens” for the specific “Hey Siri” cue (and for a small number of similar sounds indicating that a person may have attempted to say “Hey Siri”).

Once a person has said “Hey Siri,” the information is largely processed locally; a somewhat recent departure from the past configuration, where information was processed on Apple’s servers.

Is the iPhone listening illegally?

For iPhones, third-party apps are required to obtain explicit user consent when collecting microphone data. At the outset, Apple reviews apps to ensure that they’re compliant.

All apps must go through the Apple Review Process for privacy compliance ahead of being green-lighted for the app store. That said, the process doesn’t guarantee that app developers can’t misbehave at a later point in time.

In other words, in regards to apps, Apple does its best to ensure that iPhones don’t eavesdrop. Accidents could theoretically occur, although the probabilities are slim and they would be clear violations of Apple’s rules.

Is iPhone listening a cause for concern?

Generally, no. If you’re concerned about iPhone listening, note that the newer generations of iPhones have an indicator at the top of the screen that shows when the mic and camera are on.

The light becomes orange when the mic is on. It turns green when the camera is on. This recently added privacy feature assists users in detecting when an app is accessing their device’s systems.

In exceptional circumstances, spyware could be deployed on a phone, resulting in listening. Typically, this only pertains to higher-profile individuals, uniquely targeted individuals, and/or to jailbroken phones.

iPhone listening privacy tips (2024)

If concerned about iPhone privacy, consider the tips below:

1. Shut off the mic for Siri and for individual applications.

To switch off your iPhone’s microphone for Siri, go to Settings > Siri & Search. Then toggle off the following:

Listen for ‘Hey Siri’

Press side button for Siri

Allow Siri when locked

To review permissions and turn off the mic for individual applications, navigate to Settings and then click on individual apps. If you don’t want the mic for that app to remain on, simply toggle the switch.

2. Consider use of a VPN, which will make your device less vulnerable to threats by providing an encrypted, private connection. Do your research and find a reputable VPN provider. Avoid VPN providers who sell your contact information to advertisers. Carefully read through a VPN provider’s privacy policy ahead of agreeing to use their service.

3. Opt for a comprehensive solution like ZoneAlarm mobile security, which uses enterprise-grade technology to protect individuals’ phones and tablets from all kinds of cyber threats.

Related resources

Zero-click iMessage exploits hit iPhones – Read story

The CISO’s Guide to Mobile Device Security – Get eBook

Top mobile security threats and how to prevent them – Learn more

[ausetkmt]

Donald Trump has threatened to go after a lot of people—journalists, political rivals and undocumented immigrants to name a few—and starting next year, he’ll have the entire national security apparatus at his disposal.

What’s the best way to keep your personal information secure from surveillance, not just by the government, but also data brokers, tech companies, and online scammers? Leah talks with WIRED business editor Louise Matsakis and security editor Andrew Couts about what to expect and practical tips for your phone, computer, and life.

Leah Feiger is @LeahFeiger. Andrew Couts is @couts.bsky.com. Louise Matsakis is @lmatsakis. Write to us at politicslab@WIRED.com. Be sure to subscribe to the WIRED Politics Lab newsletter here.

Mentioned this week: The WIRED Guide to Protecting Yourself From Government Surveillance by Andy Greenberg and Lily Hay Newman Anyone Can Buy Data Tracking US Soldiers and Spies to Nuclear Vaults and Brothels in Germany by Dhruv Mehrotra and Dell Cameron A New Phone Scanner That Detects Spyware Has Already Found 7 Pegasus Infections by Lily Hay Newman

Transcript

Note: This is an automated transcript, which may contain errors.

Leah Feiger: This is WIRED Politics Lab, a show about how tech is changing politics. I’m Leah Feiger, the senior politics editor at WIRED. Donald Trump is returning to the White House with a long list of grievances. We know he wants to deport millions of undocumented immigrants scattered across the country, that he’s vowed to go after journalists, and wants prosecutions of his political opponents. His allies in Congress are eager to roll back abortion and transgender rights, and there are calls, generally on the right, for a crackdown on left-leaning activist groups. As head of the national security apparatus, Trump will be in possession once again of a huge surveillance machine. It’s tempting to feel anxious about all of this, but there are a lot of compelling reasons to think about your cybersecurity that go way beyond what Donald Trump may or may not do. We wanted to do a little bit of a cybersecurity reset. What are the best practices for all of us, things that might protect us from a snooping government, internet scammer, or data collection company. Joining me to talk about the various ways we can protect our data is Andrew Couts, WIRED senior editor of security and investigations. Hey, Andrew.

Andrew Couts: Hey, great to be here.

Leah Feiger: And Louise Matsakis, WIRED senior business editor. Hey, Louise.

Louise Matsakis: Hey, it’s so great to be here.

Also On WIRED

Leah Feiger: Let’s kick this right off. This guide also exists on WIRED.com. You can click on the link in our show notes today. Who is this guide for? Why should people know how to protect themselves online?

Andrew Couts: The guide is for anybody who feels like they might be in a vulnerable situation from government surveillance, or it could include an abusive partner or anyone who really feels like they need to take extra steps to protect themselves. I would say entering these uncertain times of the incoming Trump administration, that's probably changing compared to how it was in the past few years or ever. It's really up to you as the reader or listener to read the guide, see if it applies to you, see if theres anything in your life that makes you feel nervous about it and take some steps to protect yourself.

Leah Feiger: Let’s talk about those specific people a little more. My dad listens to the show. Hey, dad. Should he be doing this? Should he be following the guide?

Andrew Couts: It’s really very subjective and so it might not apply to everybody, but there's really little downside to protecting yourself and taking extra steps to ensure that your privacy is secured as best that you can make it. I would say if you are an activist, if you're a political person publicly, if you are in a vulnerable community, the only downside is some inconvenience and having to make sure you’re on top of various settings and things. We tried to present our guide in a way that's on a sliding scale so you can mix and match what you think is appropriate for your life and for your risk level. It's not just government surveillance that this applies to, because we all know everybody's getting scam texts and calls all the time. It applies to that too because just because your data is safe with one of the apps you use, they could get breached and then that data is out there and it can be connected to all different types of information that's out there about you already, and it can make even people who aren't in the public eye or otherwise engaged in any behavior that might make them a target still vulnerable.

Leah Feiger: Let’s just take a quick step back for a moment and talk about some big picture information about how online surveillance currently works. It’s so integrated into our online experience. Like you said, how many times have I gotten messages that my apps have been breached, that this password is unsecure, it's a daily occurrence. Obviously, Louise, you're an expert on everything China. Andrew, you have been covering this for so long. Talk to me about this big picture. What are we actually even coming up against here?

Louise Matsakis: I think in the last few years it’s definitely gotten a lot worse. I think a lot of us are familiar with the experience of I want to buy a new pair of sneakers. I look at this pair of sneakers and then that pair of sneakers follows you around the internet everywhere. Suddenly you see it on your phone, you see it in your Instagram ads. The other day I had the experience of actually looking up a couch on Facebook marketplace, and then because my Facebook data is connected to my Instagram data, I started getting Instagram ads for couches and I was like, “Hey, Facebook.”

Leah Feiger: Incredible.

Louise Matsakis: “I can't afford a new $3,000 couch, which is why I'm looking for a used one.”

Leah Feiger: But thank you for waving it in my face.

Louise Matsakis: There’s also, I think, the most invasive form of surveillance in a lot of ways is location tracking. You're seeing advertisements based on your IP address, based on where you go every day. A lot of people have their Google history on, so Google knows literally what time you leave your house every day, what time you return, when you maybe go somewhere like Planned Parenthood or when you go to a protest and when you return from that protest. Often, a lot of times I encourage people to look at lawsuits when they want to see what data is available to law enforcement because you can see how your trove of text messages, iMessage, conversations going back sometimes maybe an entire decade between people end up being used as evidence. I think also it's good for people to know that sometimes protecting yourself can be inconvenient and make things a little bit harder, but it can also be nice and actually better for your life. I don't want to see those couches everywhere. I don't want to see those sneakers. Because I have a lot of my conversations now set to auto delete, I'm actually saving storage space and I don't really need those conversations from three months ago where I'm like, “Hey, I'm going to be five minutes late to have coffee with my friend.”

Leah Feiger: Well, you bring up such a funny point. I think when we're talking WIRED's Guide to Government Surveillance, like you said it has so many different levels to it. There's on one hand, yes, perhaps at some point if Kash Patel takes over the FBI, what does it look like for journalists and activists in this space? But then there's also the smaller, the day-to-day people should be allowed to do that too. Dad, if you're listening, get on it.

Louise Matsakis: Yeah, exactly. I think privacy is a virtue that permeates all aspects of society and it's worth protecting whether you are a vulnerable activist or whether you are Leah’s dad.

Andrew Couts: Part of the issue here is that everybody knows you’re getting tracked for ads and your location is getting tracked for various reasons and all these things, and I think it’s often put in the context of advertising or some commercial uses. I think the two big issues right now are one, all of that data can now be purchased by the government instead of getting a warrant. They're basically able to just go around the Fourth Amendment. This is happening, police are doing this, Immigration Customs Enforcement is doing this. We do a lot of stories at WIRED that are based on location data. The most recent one was one about a data broker who supplied more than 3 billion data points on people in Germany. Why Germany matters to people in the US is that we have a lot of military installations and intelligence installations there. We were able to looking at the raw data, you could just literally track someone from a bunker where our nuclear weapons are stored to a brothel where they go after work, to their home and see their commute every single day.

Leah Feiger: Everyone go check the story out on WIRED.com. It's an amazing real life example of how this all is at play, but it’s crazy.

Andrew Couts: It’s crazy. I think the issue is that we just don’t know how this data is going to be used in the future. I think part of the issue here is just continued exposure that can lead to unintended consequences. So you might think you’re not vulnerable right now. We just don’t know what the future holds or how this data can be repackaged, shared, leaked, anything. Anytime your data is such sensitive data about where you go every single day or what websites you’re looking at, what apps are on your phone, all this stuff that might be used just to serve you an ad for a couch could also be used to embarrass you publicly or track you and surveil you in other different ways. I think it’s really important for people to understand that none of this stuff is happening in a bubble. It is all very porous in terms of who can get access to this data anywhere from a data broker who might just be a guy in his office in Florida, like one dude with a couple of computers. There’s a lot of data brokers out there and there are a lot of ones that are just some random person who has massive amounts of information on you, to the FBI or ICE or whoever it might be.

Leah Feiger: Let's talk about what you guys do. How do you lock up your cybersecurity? Do you use flip phones? What is your cloud storage? Are you only on Signal? All of these things I'm referencing by the way in the WIRED guide, go check it out. Where are you guys at?

Louise Matsakis: I have most of my conversations on Signal and I have the vast majority of them set to delete every four weeks. I find that that’s a good timescale for normal everyday conversations and then more sensitive conversations delete sometimes in as little as a few hours or a few days. Very rarely have I found that this is inconvenient for my life. Sometimes I ask a friend like, “Hey, that cool Airbnb, you stayed in that I know you already dug the link up to. Can you send that to me again?” But that's a pretty minor.

Leah Feiger: Small price to pay.

Louise Matsakis: Yeah, small price to pay. I'm really careful about location tracking and then usually-

Leah Feiger: So you are not active on Find My Friends?

Louise Matsakis: No. Although I do track my Boomer mom.

Leah Feiger: Sure.

Louise Matsakis: Yeah. Who won’t listen to this podcast, so sorry mom, I am tracking you. She knows this.

Leah Feiger: The big reveal, actually.

Louise Matsakis: Yeah, but I actually don't let her.

Leah Feiger: It’s the Louise Global Surveillance blog.

Louise Matsakis: Yeah, don’t let her track me back though. That’s my business. But when you get over the age of 70, your kid is allowed to see where you’re going.

Leah Feiger: Absolutely, amazing. Yeah.

Louise Matsakis: But I don’t use location tracking. I turn location tracking off for most of my apps and then I have a separate blank device and sometimes I bring that depending on where I’m going, particularly when I'm going to mainland China.

Leah Feiger: Yeah, I was going to ask, because you do reporting trips, you have sources all over the place. Are you bringing air gap devices? Is your work computer coming with?

Louise Matsakis: I usually will not bring my work computer. I'll bring a personal computer that doesn’t have very much information on it and I will bring a blank cell phone. I'll put various Chinese apps on that phone that I don’t really want. I don't really want WeChat just hanging out on my normal device for the most part. But those are pretty above and beyond precautions that I don't think the average person needs to take. But I think just making sure, do you really need 30 apps on your phone having your location? Because to Andrew's point about all of these data brokers, a lot of the time they're getting this location information, not from Google necessarily, or not from Facebook, not from these big companies that they don't need to sell that information. It’s literally often the game you downloaded and you forgot about. It's like the silly Candy Crush knockoff.

Leah Feiger: Oh God, I'm screwed. Yeah.

Louise Matsakis: Yeah, it’s worth just looking at those sort of apps that you forgot about and realizing, “Oh, all of these applications have particularly your location information.” Those are the two things that I prioritize is ensuring that it’s not just protecting my data, but I don't have that data. If my device gets seized, it’s like those conversations are just not there. You only see the last few weeks at the most, and in most cases maybe you see that that person's contact is in my phone, but you have no idea what we talked about because that data has been erased and Signal is also end-to-end encrypted. It’s not being stored on a server somewhere where a court could make a subpoena for it or cops could try and get a warrant for it. Those are my two big things. There are a lot of other things you can do, but I think for the average person who knows where you’re going and what are your conversations and where are they and how they being stored and do you want to keep them all the time?

Leah Feiger: Absolutely. Absolutely. Andrew, how about you?

Andrew Couts: Yeah, I would echo basically all of those, though I'm not going on cool reporting trips to China, so that’s outside my knowledge. But just to reiterate on the apps, I would say one thing I do is I just limit the number of apps that are on my phone and I don't ever download ones that are just, there's no need for it. I'm not going to download the McDonald's app or something. There’s things that might be a little bit convenient, but McDonald’s doesn't need to have an app on my phone all the time.

Leah Feiger: OK, so talk me through that though, because I’m with you. I’m totally with you. What’s wrong with having these extra apps on your phone?

Andrew Couts: It really just depends on the specific app, but if they get access to your phone book, they can do contact mapping. If they get access to your location, obviously they can do behavior mapping so they can see what other stores you’re going into and just mapping out what your behaviors are, what your activities are. Usually, that’s just to sell you more stuff.

Leah Feiger: Which as Louise points out, you don’t have to have that either in your life.

Andrew Couts: Right, exactly. There’s just no reason for them to have any data about me, to Louise’s point that just the data shouldn't exist in the first place. I try to limit the number of apps. I also am very diligent about making sure my location settings are all up to date. Just nothing can track me unless I’m using the app and for a mapping app or can’t track me at all if I’m... Not to endorse Apple, but I use an iPhone, it has a lot of really good privacy features that people can take advantage of. Some of them make your life slightly less convenient, but I’d say the trade-off is well worth it. The most important... I’d say the one thing anybody can do to protect their privacy most is to use Signal and to get everyone they know to use Signal. I would say obviously there are benefits to protecting your conversations, but if you are thinking, “Well, WhatsApp also uses the Signal protocol,” if you’re into that nerdy stuff about how this encryption works, that’s true, but WhatsApp also collects all the metadata. I would highly recommend Signal over any other encrypted app that’s out there at the moment. Then I just try to limit what I'm doing on my devices that I think might be sensitive. I also, I think financial privacy is also really important and so I try to use cash on a regular basis. Obviously, it’s not very convenient.

Leah Feiger: Really?

Andrew Couts: Yeah, I do it for-

Leah Feiger: This is a new fact. I’m learning about you right here, right now. Everything else I could have predicted.

Andrew Couts: Well, just on the daily shopping and things like that, that when it's convenient for me to do it, I can’t do that through Uber or something. I don’t use Uber really, but I'm here in San Francisco this week, so I am. I’m going to delete the app as soon as I get to the airport, but around town grocery shopping and shopping for my dogs, I’ll use cash if I can because it’s still really private and it’s more private than cryptocurrency. It’s more private than anything at this moment.

Leah Feiger: Interesting. You guys haven’t mentioned the one thing that I’m personally a bit obsessed with, so maybe I’m actually wrong, so tell me if I’m wrong. I love my DeleteMe. DeleteMe, for everyone by the way, just is, how do I even describe it? It's a subscription tool to purge your information from data brokers.

Louise Matsakis: Yeah, so what they do is there’s a lot of these sometimes they’re referred to as people look up sites and they’re basically these databases of... Sometimes they're actually scraping courts, so it will literally show when you filed for divorce, even if you can't see the actual court documents and it will show often your address. Sometimes they make family trees so it will show Leah is related to her dad and they both lived at the same address or whatever it is. It’s really sensitive information and there are services DeleteMe. There are other ones that will on your behalf will send a request saying like, “Hey, you need to take my data down.” I think that this is a really good thing that you bring up and it's really important because one of the most sensitive pieces of information about you is where you live, right, where you sleep every night. If you are an activist, if you are somebody who's posting a lot of things on the internet, if you are making other people mad, it is fairly likely that you might encounter somebody who is so mad at you or detests you so much that they want to know where you live. I’m not saying that people are going to necessarily come and show up at your house, but it’s really scary.

Leah Feiger: Absolutely.

Louise Matsakis: I've had this experience where people are saying, “I know where you live, this is your address,” and that is a very common form of harassment and there have been plenty of documented cases where people do show up. I think protecting that information is important and that’s obviously something that is not easy to change. Sometimes people just open a new email address because they’ve gotten too much spam to their old one, but it’s really hard to get a new apartment or buy a new house or whatever it is.

Leah Feiger: I would also say not even just people that are active online or making their opinions known or hated. You could work at a nonprofit and wake up the next day that a woman’s health organization that perhaps actually doesn't have that much to do with abortion and you and your colleagues are on blast from far right?

Andrew Couts: Absolutely. I think DeleteMe is a great service and it’s one that obviously it costs some money so not everybody is able to afford it, which is unfortunate, but if you can, I highly recommend it. I think other steps you can take just nuts and bolts. You can use a VPN to protect a lot of your information while you’re online. There are a lot of caveats to that. A lot of VPN companies are bad in the ways that we’re talking about here about data brokers or whatever else they have access to everything you’re doing online, so do your research on that. The Freedom of the Press Foundation has a great guide to how to figure out which VPN is good for you. The other thing is just make sure you’re not posting where you’re at on social media. If you’re going to post about being at a concert, maybe think about posting it after the concert is over or when you're not in that area, because to Louise’s point, we’re talking about government surveillance or threat actors or whatever these high-minded things. But a thing I’m nervous about is going into this new era of polarization, hyper-political ideas is that vigilante justice and people thinking there’s supposed to go after you because you made them mad about something, about anything. If they find your address, if they find all your contact information, etc. That can be extremely scary. Another thing I would say to do is if you want to protect your anonymity, definitely don’t use the same username on various different platforms. Don’t use the same email address, don’t use your phone number connected to apps if you can avoid it. All these things can be pieced together, especially when there’s a data breach and it's relatively trivial to do that. There are tools out there that make searching that information very easy. Anytime you can obfuscate your online identities, that's a very good thing to do just in the long-term.

Leah Feiger: We got to bring this into our current political situation here. We're obviously all gathered and talking about this for a very specific reason. Trump has threatened to go after government staffers who leak information to journalists. He’s threatened to go after journalists, he’s threatened to go after political enemies and he’s gone after journalists communications in the past. How can people prevent the government from reading their texts and emails?

Louise Matsakis: Under a regime that is concerned about retribution, it's hard. Again, I go back to do not have the data in the first place. When I've talked to sources, don't be on your company's Wi-Fi, do not forward emails, do not forward text messages, use a different device if you can take a picture of that email on your cellphone network, not on the Wi-Fi that your computer is connected to and send that over Signal. Then have that message auto delete, right? I think it's about when the government says, “Hey, produce this information,” the best thing to say is, “I don't have that information. That information does not exist.” Also, I think it’s important for people to realize if you’ve never been in this situation before, they’re not coming to you necessarily. They’re coming to the providers that you use like Google, like Facebook, like WhatsApp, and they are legally required or compelled to provide this information. In most cases they do and sometimes they do it extremely quickly. If the government can prove that there is an emergency, and in most cases this is good, right? When a mass shooter is on the loose, it’s good that Facebook provides information that might help them catch that person. There’s a reason that these mechanisms exist, but under a regime that is not concerned about constitutional rights and that is going after their perceived enemies, these protections can become weak. I think it’s about just not having that data to produce is the best thing you can do and to use services like Signal that are end-to-end. Because in that case when the government says, “Hey, Signal provide this information on Louise and Andrew.” Signal can't access it, they do not have it. Their response is, “Sorry, our technology does not allow for you to compel us to provide this information.”

Leah Feiger: Meredith Whitaker, what a goddess.

Andrew Couts: I would just add obviously encrypt everything you possibly can. iCloud backup can now be encrypted. iMessages are also end-to-end encrypted as are FaceTime audio calls. I don’t know a lot about Android, I’m sorry. I’m sure that there are comparable features on Android platforms. Look it up, find out what you can do on those. Just limit using the cloud as much as possible. To Louise’s point that anytime a company is storing something for you, that’s who some the authorities are going to go to. One other Apple feature is lockdown mode, which is specifically for vulnerable people. It will lock down a lot of the sharing or collecting of this data that we’re talking about being sensitive across the entire device. That’s another way of just not making that data exist. If you need to get a different device to use it, that’s certainly an option. I would say if you are thinking about getting a burner phone, you have to be very, very diligent with that. You can never have it connect to your home Wi-Fi network, for example, or connect to your office Wi-Fi. That information then makes you more vulnerable and can expose you. The last thing I would say is if you’re just getting started to thinking about what your risk levels look like and what your digital privacy hygiene looks like, all the information before now is already out there and so you can’t really control that. Whatever’s been collected on your life up until now can probably be accessed by someone somewhere, so factor that in. That doesn't mean give up, it doesn’t mean it’s not worth doing anything, but it’s definitely something you just need to be aware of that if you’re just starting now, you’re going to be safer, but you're not necessarily going to be bulletproof going forward.

Leah Feiger: I feel bananas even having to talk about this because obviously your government should be protecting you. One of the things that I feel like we’ve all just been beating the drum on recently is the PRESS Act, which would protect journalists from government spying and it has a lot of bipartisan support and passed in the House, but it’s currently held up in the Senate. Senate Democrats have been slow walking it. How do you recommend that people hold these things at once? This is a very broad question of your government should not be doing this to you and simultaneously it may be, and thus you have to take these steps.

Louise Matsakis: I think it’s unfortunate, but this is the way that it works in most parts of the world. It shouldn’t be that way and I think it’s good to be idealistic, but I think it’s important to remember that America is not special and this is how governments behave. This is how law enforcement behaves, and that if you accept that and think of it as the norm, not that you shouldn’t fight, but that it’s worth considering that. However, in other ways we are really behind. We do not have a national privacy law. We have a patchwork of protections in certain states like California where we all are currently, which is great, but it’s a real shame. I often say this and it surprises a lot of people. There are more consumer, important to say consumer, but there are more consumer privacy protections in China than there are in the U.S. That is a shame. That is something that we should be ashamed about and that should be changed. But I think day-to-day it’s just good to be pragmatic and to know that law enforcement’s going to be law enforcement, the government’s going to be the government, and it’s just worth having a default. I think having these things be set in a way that you don’t have to think about it every day and that these conversations are just deleting. I’m just using this email service that’s end-to-end encrypted. I have my DeleteMe subscription that I only need to renew once a year, that makes it a lot easier. I think paranoia is very emotionally draining and you don’t want to be in a position where you’re constantly worried and you're constantly paranoid. I think when you use these things and you set it and forget it, you can feel more empowered to live your life the way you want. Then the conveniences of not being tracked, of not seeing the catch all the time, of not.

Leah Feiger: The Autonomous couch.

Louise Matsakis: Not having to pay more for cloud storage every year because you’re not putting as much data into the cloud. These things compound over time and then you just have a nicer digital life. That’s what I want people to have.

Andrew Couts: I think during the first Trump administration, we became glaringly aware of the difference between laws and norms. I think the PRESS Act is a great reminder that there are still more norms out there that can be pushed aside. That’s what that law is attempting to do is to make it a law that you can’t do certain activities of surveillance and targeting of journalists that are at the moment just rules in the book. For example, the FBI has policy that they’re not going to prosecute journalists for publishing stories about classified information, but that's just a rule. If-

Louise Matsakis: It’s not a law.

Andrew Couts: It’s not a law and that can just be brushed aside and there’s other protections like that and I think we’re going to become aware of more that we haven’t even thought of at this moment. I wish we had a national privacy law. I wish we had better press protections that weren't based on agency rules, but there’s only so much we can do and we have to operate in the reality that were entering. A thing you can do to protect yourself is all the things we’ve been talking about here, but you can also vote, support legislation that comes up in Congress, be politically active in a way that supports your ideals and that protects everybody, including yourself.

Leah Feiger: On that note, we’re going to take a quick break and when we're back more on surveillance in the age of Trump 2.0. Welcome back to WIRED Politics Lab. We've been talking about a lot of the different ways that the government can track us and these apps are bad and encryption is good, and having everything off of our phones and computers is also good. I think we need to talk a little bit about some of these tech companies and these apps that we’re using. Perhaps a way into that is all of these tech CEOs that have been congratulating Trump and kissing the ring. Does that give you any additional concerns when it comes to our conversations about cybersecurity?

Louise Matsakis: I think there’s two things. One is more of just a vibe shift, which is that I think a lot of these CEOs saw what happened during the first Trump administration and saw how he could fly off the handle and start tweeting about them. I think that they realize that he responds really well to flattery. I think you’re seeing a lot of CEOs just going and kissing the ring. They want to ensure that their businesses are protected and there’s a lot less standing up for principals, a lot less of the resistance. The second thing about corporations since the first Trump administration is that you've seen a lot more companies get into the advertising business. Amazon has an enormous advertising business now. Uber is now in the advertising business. I see ads in the Uber app. Even some of these new AI companies such as Perplexity, they said they're going to get potentially into the ads business as well. Another shift is that a lot more people are having really extensive conversations with chatbots, with things like ChatGPT, which is another place where you can not have your conversation save. I don’t think we've seen necessarily a case yet of OpenAI, or maybe not at least a high profile one, getting a subpoena for this information from their users, but it could happen if you're asking ChatGPT sensitive things. That’s the other shift is that it’s some of the kinds of data being collected and who is collecting it have changed. Advertising is really high margin business, so a lot more companies want to do it on top of their core business. I think considering that, that there's more companies that are hungry for your data than there were before, and that we are now in an environment where there is, I think, less appetite from corporations to push against things that the second Trump administration might do because I think they realize that this is an unpredictable guy who they can just be nice to and get what they want.

Leah Feiger: Oh, depressing.

Louise Matsakis: But yes.

Andrew Couts: The kissing of the ring thing, that seems just like what I would expect CEOs to do to protect their businesses above any other principles. I’m more concerned about what the internal policies are going to be and the norms that we've taken for granted from these companies. For example, many companies Google, Twitter, or X now rather, release transparency reports. They tell you how many subpoenas they get, how many they’ve fought, how many they’ve responded to, and we might not see as many of those. X, in particular, is one that we have to be especially cautious of because if you have the X app on your phone, it’s going to be collecting data about you regardless of whether you log on or not. Regardless of what you think about the discourse on X at the moment, that’s secondary to what the back end app is going to be collecting.

Leah Feiger: Right, especially when it’s CEO and owner are very involved in the administration.

Andrew Couts: Exactly. There’s no mystery to what Elon Musk is going to do with your data if he decides that he wants to do something with your data. He's fully within his right to do that, that’s his data basically.

Leah Feiger: Yes, we all gave it to him willingly.

Andrew Couts: Yeah, exactly.

Leah Feiger: This feels like a dumb question, but what does Trump want with your data?

Louise Matsakis: I think it depends a little bit on who you are, but I think throughout this campaign, Trump has made it extraordinarily clear that he feels like he was an enormous victim during his first administration and that he was prosecuted by the press, by the DOJ, by the FBI, by lawmakers. I think he is very eager to go after those people. Part of that process is seeing who were you talking to, who provided that information to those journalists that he hates and wants to get revenge upon. What were their conversations like? Who was talking to them? I think it’s personal in a lot of ways, but even if he can’t get a conviction, or even if a judge doesn’t want to go along with Trump’s antics or some of the checks and balances in our system do hold up, these things take so much time and a lot of what authoritarianism is about and what makes it so dangerous is that it throws a wrench into everything. It derails activists, derails journalists, derails opposition lawmakers from just getting things done. Even if people are not thrown into prison, it’s being harassed all day, having to appear in court over and over again, having to spend all of your money on legal fees, having a bunch of Trump’s allies harassing you all day. That is really exhausting and that is sort of the point. Even if they’re not able to get the data identifying you, targeting you and trying to get it, and the fear that that creates is enough to accomplish their goals.

Andrew Couts: It doesn’t even have to be anything more than your name and putting that out there publicly for you to be targeted by any number of people. We saw Kash Patel release a list of people in government who he considered enemies. Your life can be really upended just by, if Donald Trump sends out a tweet that says, "Andrew Couts is a piece of shit," that's enough to make my life chaos.

Leah Feiger: Let's get into one specific example that obviously we talk a lot about at WIRED and are quite familiar with, Pegasus. Biden signed an executive order keeping this incredibly sophisticated spyware called Pegasus, that’s been used against activists and journalists around the world. Biden signed an order banning it in the US. Do we think that ban is going to hold?

Andrew Couts: Absolutely not. That's one that’s going to go away immediately. We’ve already seen ICE... Wire broke the news that ICE purchased a different spyware or tried to, and that was immediately under review from the White House as soon as we reported that news. That’s the mechanisms that are protecting us at the moment. That can just be brushed aside literally with a stroke of a pen. I would say spyware is still a big problem. Apple’s done a lot to try to combat it, but we’re seeing... We published a story today about, there’s a company that creates a free and paid tool that can scan your device, and they've already found seven Pegasus infections, which may not sound like a lot, but in that of I think 2000 customers, something around that. But that’s a lot. It is a targeted malware that exposes everything on your phone. We talked a lot about singing the praises of Signal, but if you're infected with spyware, that just goes out the window. It’s all there, your camera can be turned on remotely. Your microphone can be turned on remotely. Everything on your device is accessible to whoever's infected you. If you’d asked me a year ago, "Should people be concerned about being targeted by spyware?" I'd say not unless you are doing some highly controversial political activism or a journalist publishing national security secrets, but now it's good to check, maybe download the free tool and just get checked out every so often.

Leah Feiger: Yikes. Big, yikes. Obviously, we talked about policy solutions. I mentioned the PRESS Act earlier. A lot of journalists and First Amendment advocates have been calling on the Senate to pass it or do something, anything. Obviously, it's stalled right now. Trump on Truth Social on November 20th posted, "Republicans must kill this bill." Before that, it had bipartisan support. What effect do you think that comments like Trump, not just about the PRESS Act, but about this entire apparatus at the moment could affect us going forward the first couple hundred days? Any thoughts, any predictions there?

Louise Matsakis: I think we’l probably see potentially fewer leaks than we did in the first administration. There was a lot of activity immediately from a lot of different agencies raising concerns about really disturbing behavior in all parts of the government as Trump took over, problems about a lot of different types of programs in every major agency. But I still believe in people who want to do the right thing and who see something that is concerning to them and wanting to stand up and to say something about it. There are still safe ways for them to generally keep their anonymity protected and to be able to talk to a journalist about what they're seeing. I think you'll still see some of that, but I think there’s going to be a lot more concern and that will keep a fair number of people quiet. I think journalists are going to have to get more creative about trying to figure out what’s going on inside the government.

Andrew Couts: Yeah, it’s hard to know what the priorities of the Trump administration will be, but we do know that mass deportations are at the top of that list. I think the blast radius we will experience from whatever that looks like is going to catch up a lot of people you might not expect, necessarily. The obvious things that could happen is if people start reporters who are covering that or activists who are speaking out against it could then be deemed national security risks, which give a lot more leeway for the government to target you or to take additional actions that circumvent some of the protections that are otherwise in place when it’s not a national security issue. We talked about norms versus laws earlier, and I think that’s where we're going to start to see the chasm between those two realities. It may not be sweeping arrests of every reporter at the New York Times or WIRED or wherever, but it might just be one. That has a chilling effect immediately. Everyone is going to be more concerned about their role in public life and in confronting the Trump administration about whatever it’s doing. I would say cracking the whip very quickly, whether it’s on immigration and then everything surrounding that, it seems to me a likely scenario.

Leah Feiger: Listeners, you can find many more of WIRED’s cybersecurity recommendations online, just look for the link in today's show notes. We'll be right back with Conspiracy of the Week. Welcome back to WIRED Politics Lab. It is time for my very favorite segment of this show, which is Conspiracy of the Week, where our lovely guests bring their favorite conspiracies they've come across as of late or generally. I pick my favorite. Louise, what do you have for us today?

Louise Matsakis: I have a fun one. It's a little bit of a local story. I live in Los Angeles, and if you haven't been there, you might not know that in downtown LA there are tar pits, literally these giant puddles of tar that smell bad. They have been there literally since prehistoric times.

Leah Feiger: Wait, really? I've been to LA so many... This is new information.

Louise Matsakis: Yes, there is a tar pit park, and then there is a museum where actually they have a lot of the stuff that has been pulled out, so-

Leah Feiger: Oh my gosh.

Louise Matsakis: We’re talking like full woolly mammoths.

Leah Feiger: Wow.

Louise Matsakis: There’s an entire wall of, I don’t know what they're called, but it’s an ancient wolf basically. I’m not sure what the species is, but all of their skulls, because basically for hundreds, thousands of years, animals would just walk by and fall into them.

Leah Feiger: Oh my God.

Louise Matsakis: To date, they’ve only found, or so they say, one person who’s fallen in, and it was a prehistoric woman and her dog, but the-

Leah Feiger: Prehistoric women had dogs?

Louise Matsakis: Yeah.

Leah Feiger: I have so many questions.

Louise Matsakis: Yeah. I'm sure the exact time period, it was a very early pet owner.

Leah Feiger: Yes.

Louise Matsakis: But the conspiracy that I’ve heard around LA is that the government is putting things in the tar pit. They're putting people-

Leah Feiger: To cover it up. Of course.

Louise Matsakis: Yes. They’re putting people in the tar pits and it’s like they know that they won’t be lifted out and that the archeologists who work there who are still excavating are in cahoots with the government to keep things in the tar pits.

Leah Feiger: OK. I have the dumbest question ever. In my mind, because obviously I grew up watching cartoons, putting stuff in tar. It’s like gooey.

Louise Matsakis: It is gooey.

Leah Feiger: How do you excavate that? What does that even entail?

Louise Matsakis: I am not an archeologist.

Leah Feiger: Fair enough. How are they pulling out their political enemies, I suppose is my question?

Louise Matsakis: Yeah. Well, I think that’s the thing is that they're keeping them in there.

Leah Feiger: They’re keeping them in there.

Louise Matsakis: But I’m not sure. It’s been a very long effort, but I'm not sure over the years how they’ve gotten all of the bones out and stuff, but they're very preserved so that part of the is like-

Leah Feiger: A little Pompeii action.

Louise Matsakis: Exactly. A little Pompeii action and that maybe one day when it’s safe to talk about what happened. We know that the bodies are there and we know that the information there.

Leah Feiger: I am so obsessed. If these tar pits were in New York, the mafia would’ve just dumped all of lower Manhattan into this.

Louise Matsakis: I guess it just takes a while to sink.

Leah Feiger: Godfather part four would’ve been a very different film.

Louise Matsakis: I think it takes some time to sink though, so that’s the thing is-

Leah Feiger: I want to go chuck stuff in there now. I didn't know this was a thing.

Louise Matsakis: You can literally see them and there's literally just a cone that it's like, "Don't go over there and be like, don't get your foot in the gear."

Leah Feiger: This is what I’m going to do. I’m going to go throw all of my non-encrypted devices into LA’s tar pit, a WIRED field trip. This was an incredible conspiracy. Andrew, can you top that?

Andrew Couts: I cannot. That’s amazing. My conspiracy is less fun, and it’s not even a conspiracy yet, but we’re recording this on Wednesday morning. The CEO of UnitedHealthcare was shot in Midtown Manhattan, and obviously gun violence is a daily occurrence in America, but such a brazen attack in the middle of Manhattan is just baffling.

Leah Feiger: Blocks away from Times Square.

Andrew Couts: Yeah. It is. If you’ve been into Manhattan, this is extremely wild, and I haven’t looked at the news since we’ve been recording this, so they may have already caught the guy, but regardless, just because of all the politics around healthcare. There was a big ransomware attack against a subsidiary of UnitedHealthcare that they paid $22 million to the ransomware gang that did it. It’s a very complicated thing, but there’s already some conspiracy theories swirling around that it’s like ransomware gang or whatever. I think it’s more likely something completely separate from that, but regardless of what it is, it just feels so wild that people are going to be talking about this forever. Regardless of what the facts come out.

Leah Feiger: Oh, a hundred percent, we’re going to log off and it’s thousands of conspiracies will have popped up in the last hour.

Andrew Couts: Indeed.

Leah Feiger: Wow. All right. Well, that’s still a good one because it’s, as you said, just truly bananas. I got to give this one to Louise. I'm obsessed with LA’s tar pits.

Louise Matsakis: Highly recommend if you ever come visit.

Leah Feiger: I'm going to the museum.

Louise Matsakis: Yeah, it’s a really fun thing.

Leah Feiger: That’s good stuff. That was really good. Thank you both so much for joining us today for this terrifying but really informative conversation.

Louise Matsakis: Thank you so much for having us.

Andrew Couts: Thanks for having us.

[minicorruptprogram]

This.

THIS.

This is an invasion of fucking privacy. As soon as I saw this, I went and checked. This shit was on my phone. This, in the simplest way I can put it, is SPYWARE. GOOGLE IS FORCING SPYWARE ON EVERYONE'S DEVICES. First it was Chrome, now it's THIS SHIT?! I am BEYOND pissed off by this. And personally, I flagged the app as suspicious after I uninstalled it.

Also, for my less than tech literate friends!! Spyware is a type of malicious program or file that gets installed WITHOUT YOUR PERMISSION, and it can be difficult to detect or remove. I saw that there's cases of Google just reinstalling it after you uninstall it. Bullshit, right?? Normally, I don't like Apple at all, but at least to my knowledge, they're not pulling THIS! If Google keeps this shit up, then I'm likely going to try and find a cheap iPhone or something, just to get away from it. Yes, I know Apple has its pros and cons too, trust me, I had an old iPhone 6s once, and I even had an old iMac that I toyed with every now and again. But I'd rather deal with proprietary bullshit than this. I have used Androids since I had my first phone, minus the time I used that iPhone 6s, and never once had it let me down. But it's getting close to breaking the final straw, and if I have to get used to a damn iPhone, so be it. I'm SICK of dealing with this bullshit. And I can't root my phone to fix it because it'll void my warranty and might break a few features that I need (this phone is my daily driver).

hey folks if you have an android phone: google shadow installed a "security app".

I had to go and delete it myself this morning.

[dreamteamecho]

5/8 dream where my dad was throwing a tantrum a bit over being kicked out of a store so he decided that in the middle of the nivht he would go and hang out in the top floor. they could only get security to go after him so he was unafraid. trespassing laws didnt exist or smth. i wasnt sure how to stop him but i was able to convince him to let me stay in the 4runner while he does whatever. he gave me his phone and showed me something special he put in his discord; if you tapped and held an icon, it would open up a different secret app. this app, if next to a phone (a couple feet away) and activated, it could automatically hack into the other phone by guessing the password and installing itself. he, of course, had hacked into my moms phone, some clients and my brain couldnt figure out if it wanted my phone to be hacked or not. after seeing that i was trying to figure out ways to have a stronger password but also still allow for the system to remember it easily. also i was worried about him seeing me draw furry porn LMAO. (headcanon: he did and thats why he no longer had his spyware on my phone. now back to the dream.) basically he was some sorta cyber detective? also he had a part of land he used to store things for people and he let some "egg laying cows" out into the wild since their owner didnt get them in time. they were cute, fluffy, slightly different proportions and had bigger eyes than usual too. also there was some peacock critter that really liked being sprayed by the hose and that was cute. also something about wanting to show metal music to him. we'll never have that relationship where i can trust him like that though :(

there was some sorta party thing with different sushis idk. i had made a lap earlier but suddenly i had to make a lap with a kid in tow. did some minigames, let them eat sushi (i thiiink i was convinced to eat yet another sushi), and we had to take some food to a table but she couldnt find a spot to eat. i told her to go do something else while i looked for one, found an empty 4 seat table and when she came back she was like thats so heteronormative of you. i asked if she wanted to go sit somewhere else but she said no. also we got on the topic of age and she was convinced that age only showed with hair colors (red was old), i ended up explaining hair dyes to her lol.

i drank paint water from a random tap.

something about worrying about an unclean public bathroom and people overhearing things. (bathroom was clean it was just ocd getting to me. people did overhear the convos however)

[hitchzone24]

Digital Payments & Cyber security: What You Need to Know?

Businesses have completely changed how they collect payments from customers thanks to the internet. Not far behind, however, are hackers and other criminals who have increased fraud and security lapses, making the internet a dangerous place.

Current Risks to Cybersecurity

As technology develops, the threats that digital banks face change constantly. Banks can safeguard their clients and sustain the expansion of digital payments by tackling these issues head-on.

Digital payment systems can be disrupted by a variety of cyber threats:

Phishing attacks trick victims into disclosing personal information, including login credentials and financial information, by using phoney emails, phone calls, or texts. Other kinds of cyberthreats may result from the scam.

Malware is malicious software that compromises systems in order to lock accounts, monitor activity, or steal data. Different types of malware, including Trojan horses, worms, and spyware, serve distinct purposes.

Man-in-the-middle (MitM) attacks allow hackers to obtain private data or money by intercepting user-bank communications.

Sensitive information, including financial and personal data, is exposed in large quantities when digital bank databases are accessed without authorization.

Ransomware uses malicious software to compromise computer systems in order to steal information, track user activity, or lock accounts. After requesting payment, the attackers continue to interfere with the devices and websites until they are paid.

Credential stuffing obtains unauthorized access to accounts, attackers utilize password combinations and usernames that have been stolen from previous breaches.

Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks overwhelm the bank's servers, preventing customers from accessing online services. DDoS attacks use multiple sources of compromised devices (botnets), as opposed to a single source that floods the target in a Denial-of-Service (DoS) attack.

Workers or contractors who have access to private data may purposefully or inadvertently result in security incidents or data breaches.

Social engineering is the practice of psychologically coercing people into disclosing private information.

Zero-day exploits are attacks that take advantage of undiscovered flaws in hardware or software before fixes are made available.

For online payments, why is cybersecurity important?

Whether you are a consumer or a business, protecting your data is essential. However, the following explains why online payment cybersecurity is even more crucial:

To safeguard private data

An employee in the financial services industry typically has access to 11 million files. Regrettably, hackers can compromise online transactions. Money is a powerful motivator for them to gather data, particularly private banking information. Vulnerable systems are extremely dangerous and can have catastrophic effects on both individuals and companies. Cybersecurity in digital payments becomes essential to safeguarding sensitive data.

To stop fraud

Concerns about fraud, identity theft, and money laundering are frequent in online transactions. Cybersecurity programs are able to analyse transaction patterns for suspicious activity through the use of machine learning and fraud detection mechanisms. This aids in the immediate prevention of fraud and theft.

To avoid significant fines and legal consequences

Customers trust businesses to protect their data (bank/card details) when they transact online. To protect customers, all merchants must adhere to the rules set forth by the payment industry. Multi-factor authentication lessens the likelihood of fraud or theft. If your company doesn't follow these legal requirements, you run the risk of:

If required, compensating victims for their losses

Costs associated with litigation

High fines imposed by regulatory bodies

Cut down on chargebacks

The majority of chargebacks happen when a cardholder contests a transaction or charge made to their account. They might demand a refund from their bank because they don't recognize the charge and think it's fraudulent. This is particularly prevalent in transactions conducted online.

By confirming the cardholder's identity, secure payment gateways can help lower fraudulent chargebacks and protect you from chargeback fees and other financial losses.

Establishing a worldwide company image

One issue is that cross-border regulations are not consistent. It is necessary to accommodate the various legal systems and security standards and regulations of various nations. Businesses can reach a global audience by putting in place secure payment gateways that are compliant with several nations.

Keep your reputation safe.

Customer mistrust and bad press result from data breaches. The most important factor for any business is brand reputation. Millions of dollars are occasionally spent by large corporations to enhance their brand image. You start to understand the significance of cybersecurity for all payment infrastructure when you consider that a single data breach could ruin all of that work.

Measures for Cybersecurity

To transform personal data into a secure format, encryption is necessary. The right key or description is required to unlock this encrypted data. This guarantees that after being intercepted, the data will stay safe and unintelligible.

By requiring some sort of verification before allowing access to the platform, Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) adds an extra degree of security. Tokenization substitutes a random or unique token that is impenetrable once intercepted for important payment information.

By using distinctive physical traits, biometric verification—such as fingerprint and facial recognition—offers an extra layer of security. These include the face's shape and a fingerprint's outline, which are both challenging to mimic.

By using artificial intelligence (AI), financial institutions have also innovated to enhance cybersecurity. Real-time transaction activity monitoring is done with this application. Additionally, it can use the data analytics tool to identify fraudulent transactions or possible threats.

Techniques for Mitigation and Prevention

Enhancing KYC protocols can aid in limiting unauthorised access to UPI accounts. The risk of fraud can be reduced by ensuring that every user is thoroughly vetted and verified.

To strengthen the UPI ecosystem, it is essential to implement sophisticated fraud detection algorithms and fortify authentication systems. Frequent patching and software updates can help eliminate potential weaknesses that hackers could take advantage of.

Fighting UPI fraud requires efficient cooperation from regulators, financial institutions, and law enforcement. Cybercriminal networks can be found and disrupted with the aid of information sharing and coordination.

Quick identification of suspicious activity can be facilitated by real-time transaction monitoring. Financial institutions can avert serious damage by looking at transaction patterns and spotting anomalies.

By increasing user awareness through educational campaigns and training programs, people can be better equipped to spot and steer clear of phishing attempts and other fraudulent schemes. Cybercriminals are less likely to target knowledgeable users.

Financial stability in the face of cybercrime can be obtained with a comprehensive cyber insurance policy. The costs of recovering from a cyberattack, such as legal fees, data recovery costs, and monetary losses, may be covered by these policies. A strong cybersecurity strategy requires cyber insurance, which provides businesses and individuals with peace of mind.

All businesses are becoming increasingly concerned about cyber security. Therefore, selecting an end-to-end payment solution with features and compliance designed for high security is crucial.

[ladyofspoons]

my dad insisted on installing spyware onto my phone and computer that would let him see (and restrict if he deemed to do so) my: internet search history, location, all sent and received texts, the amount of time i spent in each app, and additionally had the ability to remotely deactivate my phone, for which i had 0 recourse. there were time limits on when i could use my phone before it turned into a brick, certain web searches automatically reported to him based on restricted topics (which made research for my biology classes very difficult), and of course i never had a lock on my door. it wasn’t even in response to anything i had done, it was just automatically attached to any device i had. there were parental controls on my fucking 3ds. i had to ask him to put in a pin anytime i wanted to play fire emblem. so naturally, having never been trusted to exist without surveillance, i learned to hide the things i wished others not to know. i learned to lie on the spot, to listen for footsteps, to find work arounds. i learned to move silently, cover my tracks, and think like a fucking detective of every possible way something could be learned of my activities. my parents knew only what i wanted them to, only the persona i presented, because they told me by their actions that they could not handle the truth, and they could not trust me to be an acceptable child to them on my own. is it any wonder then that they don’t feel quite like family to me, rather, professional associates, people you spend time around out of obligation and so you don’t end up homeless, but you never tell them anything more than is necessary for day to day function. don’t do this to your kids, or you’ll end up with employees instead of children

"Should parents read their daughter's texts or monitor her online activity for bad language and inappropriate content?"

Earlier today, I served as the “young woman’s voice” in a panel of local experts at a Girl Scouts speaking event. One question for the panel was something to the effect of, “Should parents read their daughter’s texts or monitor her online activity for bad language and inappropriate content?”

I was surprised when the first panelist answered the question as if it were about cyberbullying. The adult audience nodded sagely as she spoke about the importance of protecting children online.

I reached for the microphone next. I said, “As far as reading your child’s texts or logging into their social media profiles, I would say 99.9% of the time, do not do that.”

Looks of total shock answered me. I actually saw heads jerk back in surprise. Even some of my fellow panelists blinked.

Everyone stared as I explained that going behind a child’s back in such a way severs the bond of trust with the parent. When I said, “This is the most effective way to ensure that your child never tells you anything,” it was like I’d delivered a revelation.

It’s easy to talk about the disconnect between the old and the young, but I don’t think I’d ever been so slapped in the face by the reality of it. It was clear that for most of the parents I spoke to, the idea of such actions as a violation had never occurred to them at all.

It alarms me how quickly adults forget that children are people.

[atplblog]

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[fromdevcom]

We might start suspecting a partner or lover of unfaithful behavior at any time during our relationships. They might start spending a little too much time on their phones or start spending too much time away from home. We might even need to monitor our children for their own safety in this harsh world.There was a time where we would be close to helpless in such situations but not anymore. With advancements in technology and the internet new and better ideas are at hand. We have a solution in the form of Spy apps for Android and even iPhone devices.There are many great apps in the world for such purposes but we choose Neatspy. Neatspy is the best spy app for Android because of many different reasons. We hope to describe those reasons to you and also guide you on how to utilize the services of Neatspy..What is Neatspy?Neatspy is one of the world’s oldest and most famous spy services. It has received very favorable reviews from the likes of PC World and iGeeksBlog. It is available in most countries in the world and has a strong reputation worldwide.Neatspy is a spyware app that is completely legal and it will work without the need to alter or tamper with a target device. So, the app works without the hassle of root or jailbreak. It works on both Android and iPhones.          Neatspy is the perfect Spy app due to many reasons. It has a large number of spying features a user can use to monitor or track someone. You can track someone’s location; you can view their messages on social media and texts. Neatspy contains all the most coveted spying features out there today.Some of The Best Spying Features of Neatspy AreMonitor Social MediaView call history and caller frequencySee Text messagesApply keyloggerAccess to browser historyStealth modeAnd moreNeatspy will need online connectivity of the device to ensure that the results of spying are provided. Without online connectivity, you won’t revive updates.One of the biggest plus points of Neatspy is its discreet nature. The Stealth mode feature allows users to spy on someone without the fear of getting caught. The app hides all of its activities. The app also does not drain or strain the batter of the target device. All of this makes Neatspy the best spy app for Android devices.How to Set up NeatspyBefore we can jump right into the various kinds of spying by Neatspy, we will need to configure it. The process is very easy and will not be time-consuming. Not more than 5 minutes will be needed for the process to be completed.Step 1The first step revolves around registration. Visit Neatspy’s website on any device and register an account. Fill out any forms given. After the forms are dealt with, you will need to pay the amount according to the kind of package you want to have.                  Step 2Since the app works on both Androids and even iPhone devices, we listed the Step for both For Android Devices: After the creation of your account, you will need to download a small file onto your target Android device. Don’t worry as this file is very small at only 2 MB, it is also not noticeable or detectable. No service can realistically do this step completely remotely              For Apple iOS Devices: The process for Apple devices is far easier. All you need to have is the cloud storage credentials, which you will use to connect your Neatspy account to the cloud account. The website itself will guide in this regard. This is done remotely. Successfully completing the three steps above will mean that the process is done with. You can begin your work after a few minutes in which Neatspy sets itself up. It won’t take more than 10 minutes to do so in most cases.           Step 3Now you can view all activity of a person by simply logging into your Neatspy account. You can log in to your Neatspy account from any browser on any device. You will receive real-time updates regardless of where the phone you track travels to. All the spy power is exercised remotely by Neatspy.The app is just as easy to remove from a device once its job has been completed.

You can remove it anytime you want by simply deleting the downloaded file from the target phone in the case of Android devices. In the case of Apple devices, this step is done remotely from your Neatspy account.Now you will have access to all the information necessary for you to find out any dirty secrets of a person. No one will be able to get away with doing you wrong. The power to catch a cheater red-handed or rid yourself of the illusion of a faithful partner is at your disposal.         Neatspy is a fantastic app, probably one of the best spy apps if not the very best. An app with an extremely large number of features combined with easy use and a simple installation process. Add reliability of results and the App does wonders for anyone.ConclusionNeatspy is easily one of the best spy apps for Android in the world today. It is easy to see why, as this app promises to deliver great results. A large number of features plus its secretive nature makes for it is a very powerful weapon in the hands of even the most non-technical user.We hope through our review of Neatspy you will be able to counter any issues of a personal nature your life throws at you. You will be able to know all the secrets someone keeps form you and you will know all that they know.