Phone technology getting out of hand

[TboltHeaven]

Smartphones do so much they are to convenient and helpful. If you traveled back into time to lets say 1993 and showed people the thunderbolt the people wouldn't believe it. They would surely know you were from the future. If you went back to the 1800s you'd be burned as a witch.

Ok these things make phone calls, text, the basics that 10 years ago most people didn't have. Gps that tells you where to go without getting lost, it's a walkman, video recorder, camera and mini hd television. It's a handheld video game system and online computer, email, ebooks, notepad, sound recorder, research tool, product ordering device online, ebay, social networks, flashlight, pictures, videos, music...etc etc etc

Now the things they do in return..they track us, have the technology to listen to us , watch us, take our pictures, and god only knows what else......that's the problem I have with it. Who is to say they are not doing these things? They could and get away with it with ease. Facial recognition technology is scary it's used on social networks. What about someone without a facebook or twitter? But own a smartphone? Do they use your own phones camera to take your picture? Like Steve Jobs talked about doing a few years ago. Ya know taking your heartbeat, recording your face and using facial recognition technology. Ya know in case someone steals your phone they say?? Suuuure since when does apple care about you or your phone if it gets stolen?? Never knew they cared so much. Fishy world we live in eh???? Ten years ago tracking someone would of been against the law and against privacy rights..all of this would. Slowly dumbing up the People because people now accept it where in the past they would flip out. It's all about conditioning the masses and those with a free thinking minds they don't want....you could be considered a threat being about truth and what is right because that goes against the evil. So why they watching everyone again????

 

[Slug]

Moved to Android Lounge as it is off-topic for the HTC Thunderbolt section.

 

[UnplugMe]

I hear you and agree. I don't do facebook or twitter, but the technology is so "cool" nobody can resist it. And younger people don't really know what someone with impure motives can do, or don't believe it could happen. We have really lost our privacy and it started before smart phones. The facial recognition is the worst of it all.

I found my signature on the internet a few months back. I won't post detailed info because I don't want to help any criminal who might read this. But it was an unsecured site, no hacking required, just a few clicks and there it was!

 

[Lipz]

I understand where you're coming from. Privacy is altered due to all of what you mentioned (facial rec., facebook, etc). However, this is how things are these days. Convenience plays a large role in society, and thus alters privacy. IMO, its good to have your say on privacy and(of course) have questions, but also to adapt with modern society.

 

[UnplugMe]

TBoltHeaven, do NOT drink the kool-aid! LOL

All I can say is I'm really glad this technology wasn't around during WWII.

 

[chanchan05]

They cant do that, because we have total control over our phones: root. We can remove all apps they installed to be able to control the phone, and install a fresh vanilla android into it. You can also use your phone completely offline from the internet like old dumbphones, and still have some of the conveniences, like facial recognition on the camera, etc. If you are completely offline, how are they going to get your data?

Not only the above, but you can also monitor what data you are sending and receiving, and what apps are these sending and receiving this data, so you basically know everything your phone is doing. If they are doing anything near what you say, it would show up on your data allowance and your data usage monitoring app (a rogue download or upload would show). What you should be worried about is not if they are able to control your phone, but to where you are sending your data. The phone is harmless in all the ways the OP described IMHO.

 

[basalt]

I was thinking just the other day that 'phone' is not a good description of them any more - making a phone call is the thing I use mine for the least. I've resorted to calling it a magic box.

I'm not worried about tracking - I leave GPS off all the time and don't believe it gets turned on without my knowledge. Likewise I keep 3g off unless I'm using it. I highly doubt my phone takes pictures of me - whenever I've tried to do that myself all I've got is pictures of a thumb and what's over my left shoulder. Granted it's possible there might be a rouge app on there that steals my data and sends it to a network in a way that doesn't show up on my data usage at all but I don't think it's very likely.

These devices may have the capability to erode away at out privacy but only if we left them - keep the phone secure as a default state, don't use apps/sites that you object to the privacy policies of and you'll always have a choice in it.

If nothing else, just make sure you wave at the camera now and then and say outloud "I know you're listening" - 'they' might not be but it'll freak them out if they are.

 

[mikedt]

OP... better get your tinfoil hat on, the Illuminati are onto you.

 

[mlong12]

dude, you should like, write movies

 

[chanchan05]

I just realized. The OP is paranoid that his phone is taking pictures of him and sending data, but he's not paranoid of using the internet and maybe someone is taking pictures of him from his webcam and copying his data. LOL.

 

[Lombardi]

I don't got nothing to hide and I don't got nothin to steal, and I'm not worth killing. So... I'm gna surf the web and gps all I want lmfao. I'm waiting for phones to have barometers. And I always check my blood pressure with my phone.

 

[lrv]

I typically use custom ROM's, and would like to think that developers are experienced enough to find any app's that may function as the OP has explained. Either way, I could care less. I'm not doing anything wrong, and have nothing to worry about.

 

[jerofld]

If you're paranoid about being tracked, listened in on or anything else like that: Get rid of all cell phones, stop logging into Facebook/G+/Twitter, and don't drive a car with GPS navigation (like Onstar or any other service that is similar).

After 2005 (I think 2005, anyways), all cellphones sold in the US had to have GPS chips in them. These chips will report your location to government services without any consent from you. It's typically called 911 mode and is used by emergency services to locate you if you call 911. So you can be connected to the closest dispatch center, instead of the dispatch center closest to where your number is registered. This is so if I take my phone, which is registered in MD, to CA and call 911, I get the local dispatcher in CA. Not the MD dispatcher. They can also get your precise location in case you are unable to tell them, are lost, etc. But I would bet that the CIA/NSA could easily access that chip in any cellphone just as easily.

Cell phone carriers can also track your phone by triangulating your location from multiple towers. This is how you get time zone information, location information, weather, etc even with GPS disabled. On Android devices, this is called your "Coarse Location". "Fine Location" is given through the global positioning satellites.

Also, most people have driver's licenses and are connected to social media, so why would they need to get your phone/PC's camera to take pictures of you? They already have your picture. Plus the enormous amount of public surveillance equipment all over the place (traffic/street cameras).

So I can't imagine why they would want cellphones that could take your picture unknowingly. They can get your picture and track your movements through the services you subscribe to much easier. Thanks to the Patriot Act, of course. So, enjoy your smartphone. It can't track you any more easily than a dumbphone can. And think about that when you're on Facebook.

 

[UnplugMe]

It's an interesting topic no matter what your opinion. I grew up in the era of movies like Logan's Run and Soylent Green, so I'm more suspicious of "the man." LOL

It's fine when you live in a free country and obey the law, unless and until an evil dictator grabs power. Then bury your cellphone, disconnect your ONStar, and hide in the mountains.

 

[Lipz]

OP be trollin'

 

[james515]

a few comments on some of the replies on this topic.

They cant do that, because we have total control over our phones: root. We can remove all apps they installed to be able to control the phone, and install a fresh vanilla android into it. You can also use your phone completely offline from the internet like old dumbphones, and still have some of the conveniences, like facial recognition on the camera, etc. If you are completely offline, how are they going to get your data?

Not only the above, but you can also monitor what data you are sending and receiving, and what apps are these sending and receiving this data, so you basically know everything your phone is doing. If they are doing anything near what you say, it would show up on your data allowance and your data usage monitoring app (a rogue download or upload would show). What you should be worried about is not if they are able to control your phone, but to where you are sending your data. The phone is harmless in all the ways the OP described IMHO.

Yes, they can control your phone with out your knowledge IF they want to monitor you. This is the #1 reason to have a phone with a removable battery, no power, no monitoring. Even if you root you phone they can still get their software to your phone by OTA and you will never know.

I'm not worried about tracking - I leave GPS off all the time and don't believe it gets turned on without my knowledge.

even leaving your GPS off you can still be tracked, but not as accurately. besides, if they install tracking software, it can use your GPS and you wont know it at all. its only software coding that makes the GPS symbol display on your phone, so they can make i NOT show when they want to track you. Even turning your phone off is only a software coding to tell you its off, the tracking software keeps the phone powered on while you think it is off...best reason for a removable battery.

I typically use custom ROM's, and would like to think that developers are experienced enough to find any app's that may function as the OP has explained. Either way, I could care less. I'm not doing anything wrong, and have nothing to worry about.

A custom ROM wont stop the OTA installation of an app to track you.

After 2005 (I think 2005, anyways), all cellphones sold in the US had to have GPS chips in them. These chips will report your location to government services without any consent from you. It's typically called 911 mode and is used by emergency services to locate you if you call 911. So you can be connected to the closest dispatch center, instead of the dispatch center closest to where your number is registered. This is so if I take my phone, which is registered in MD, to CA and call 911, I get the local dispatcher in CA. Not the MD dispatcher. They can also get your precise location in case you are unable to tell them, are lost, etc. But I would bet that the CIA/NSA could easily access that chip in any cellphone just as easily.

Cell phone carriers can also track your phone by triangulating your location from multiple towers. This is how you get time zone information, location information, weather, etc even with GPS disabled. On Android devices, this is called your "Coarse Location". "Fine Location" is given through the global positioning satellites.

Also, most people have driver's licenses and are connected to social media, so why would they need to get your phone/PC's camera to take pictures of you? They already have your picture. Plus the enormous amount of public surveillance equipment all over the place (traffic/street cameras).

So I can't imagine why they would want cellphones that could take your picture unknowingly. They can get your picture and track your movements through the services you subscribe to much easier. Thanks to the Patriot Act, of course. So, enjoy your smartphone. It can't track you any more easily than a dumbphone can. And think about that when you're on Facebook.

E911 does NOT use your cell phones GPS to find you, each cell tower has GPS location coded into the data/programming for that cell towers equipment, when you make a call to 911, the carriers network routes your call to the correct PSAP based on the information from the primary tower your phone is connected to and NOT based on where your home network is, the carriers network provides your location to 911 (PSAP) based off of a triangulation method between multiple towers, not from your cell phones GPS.

I work for one of the major carriers and in the past i have assisted the Secrete Service the FBI and the local police department VICE squad on many occasions to track bad guys WITH Proper Legal warrants in place. Its pretty easy to do and very easy to listen in on the actual conversations WITH Proper Legal warrants.

Even with a VERY DUMB phone and NO tracking software loaded on your phone, you can be tracked very easily. as long as your phone is powered on, your phone constantly communicates with your carrier to determine its location, its distance from the cell tower, which other cell towers your phone sees and so on, if you are sitting still this data does not change so your location can be narrowed down to a coarse location.

as you drive around your phones location can be more accurately tracked since the cell tower info will keep changing and this can be mapped out very easily to show where you are going and it can direct someone with in visual distance of you.

Im not being paranoid and I dont have a tin foil hat or am I a conspiracy theorist (even though I sound like one). After being in the wireless industry for almost 18 years you learn a few things most people wont ever know existed.

James

 

[ukrkoz]

c'mon, folks. just keep your phone turned off all the time. safe and saves battery life.

 

[quest7]

Thanks James, that was pretty informative.

 

[Yeahha]

Quick note on the OP but if you went back to 1993 I think you would have a hard time convincing someone that your smartphone is a phone as you wouldn't have signal and even if you did there wouldn't be the internet as we know it currently and many other services wouldn't work. More than likely they would think it is some prototype by a tech company for a handheld gaming device.

Now if you could take a few different phones back in time with you and get them to a tech company imagine where we would be now, not to mention you could change the entire landscape of the phone/patent suits, just think of giving an iPhone to Samsung back in the early 90s they could reverse engineer things and be able to patent things way before Apple could same with other companies...

As for them tracking you, yeah they do, can, and will but compared to the convience of always being connected and available, collectivly we have opted to give up that privacy over time in exchange, it isn't limited to phones however any exchange that is not done in cash can be used to track you. Anytime you log onto a website you can be tracked regardless of where you are or who's web portal you are using.

<Tips my tinfoil hat to the OP >

 

[chanchan05]

@james - if they start sending pictures or data to themselves it will appear on your data allowance, or data used. Pictures are pretty large files. Doesnt matter if they control it IMO. Besides, being fearful of such things are petty considering you already are on a laptop and on the internet. If you're afraid of your phone doing such things, you should be more afraid of your PC.

 

[UnplugMe]

Just now watching "Person of Interest" for the first time on CBS. I mention it because it's about this very topic!
Of course it's fiction, but shows the potential of what can be done with today's technology (all for your own protection, of course!)


They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety. -- Benjamin Franklin

 

[dan330]

Smartphones do so much they are to convenient and helpful. If you traveled back into time to lets say 1993 and showed people the thunderbolt the people wouldn't believe it. They would surely know you were from the future. If you went back to the 1800s you'd be burned as a witch.

Ok these things make phone calls, text, the basics that 10 years ago most people didn't have. Gps that tells you where to go without getting lost, it's a walkman, video recorder, camera and mini hd television. It's a handheld video game system and online computer, email, ebooks, notepad, sound recorder, research tool, product ordering device online, ebay, social networks, flashlight, pictures, videos, music...etc etc etc

Now the things they do in return..they track us, have the technology to listen to us , watch us, take our pictures, and god only knows what else......that's the problem I have with it. Who is to say they are not doing these things? They could and get away with it with ease. Facial recognition technology is scary it's used on social networks. What about someone without a facebook or twitter? But own a smartphone? Do they use your own phones camera to take your picture? Like Steve Jobs talked about doing a few years ago. Ya know taking your heartbeat, recording your face and using facial recognition technology. Ya know in case someone steals your phone they say?? Suuuure since when does apple care about you or your phone if it gets stolen?? Never knew they cared so much. Fishy world we live in eh???? Ten years ago tracking someone would of been against the law and against privacy rights..all of this would. Slowly dumbing up the People because people now accept it where in the past they would flip out. It's all about conditioning the masses and those with a free thinking minds they don't want....you could be considered a threat being about truth and what is right because that goes against the evil. So why they watching everyone again????

its the .. etc etc etc..


that I am most scared of

 

[xmr405o]

The only ones who should worry or even care about be tracked or tapped are the bad guys. I don't mind the fast pace movement of technology on phones maybe its part of the necessary steps to finally getting my George Jetson ride. I want my flying car!!!

 

[dan330]

^^^^ i do not agree... true most likely there should never be any issue for most people.. but..

i dont like people to peep through my windows.. any time they want ... in any room... even if there aint no-one home.