6 Unbelievable Spying Things Around Us

The rapid advancement of technology has enabled humanity to incorporate ease and comfort in aspects of our lives. Having said that, all the inventions have some drawbacks and spying is surely the most dangerous outcome of our unlimited dependence on technology. This vicious cycle of breaching people’s privacy is spread across the globe as intelligence agencies and mega-corporations are using all kinds of tools to keep tabs on us. Generally, we believe that gadgets like laptops and smartphones are used for this purpose but following is an interesting list of spying things that could left you in awe.

Cars

A vast majority of modern cars are equipped with an Event Data Recorder (EDR) that keeps track of its location, average speed, and the most frequently used route. All this data is regularly collected by the automakers who tend to use this information in an attempt to improve the overall efficiency of the vehicle. Not only that, but this data is also shared with the law enforcement agencies, in case of an accident, to determine the exact reasons for the incident. Despite all that, there is no clarity about the owner of this data and the buyer is not informed about this feature at the time of purchase.

Headphones

It might seem a bit odd but headphones can be converted into microphones quite easily. All you need to do is to plug them into the shared jack (used for both headphones and microphones) and they will become microphones. The manipulation of this technology can lead to large-scale spying and it is very much possible that the method is already in practice, somewhere in the world. The researchers of the Ben Gurion University have created a malware, called Speake(a)r, which converts the output jacks of the computer into input jacks. As a result, you can listen to the conversation of the owner while the headphones are plugged into the system.      

LED Lights

One of the most unbelievable spying things on the list, the LED Lights at the Newark Liberty International Airport can also be used for spying. A total of 171 lights, installed at Terminal B, have 8 video cameras and several sensors to survey all the visitors and passengers around the terminal. According to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, these cameras are only for security reasons (recognition of vehicle license plates and suspicious activity) but we all know that a lot more can be done with that data.

Security Cameras

The primary purpose of security cameras is to keep you safe from burglars but it is common information these days that they can also be used to spy on the owners. The fact that the data gathered by these devices is uploaded automatically to the cloud raised a major concern among the prospective owners. Quite obviously, it is a massive flaw in the technology because it is a serious violation of your right to privacy and confidentiality. For instance, the data from the security cameras of your home/office can be given to the law enforcement agencies without your consent.

Smart Gadgets

The latest addition in this list of spying things that could spy on us is of smart gadgets (fitness trackers and smartwatches). Although they are quite helpful in our daily lives, they are a bit too smart for the assigned tasks. They are designed in a way that they use multiple sources of information to collect maximum data about the wearer. While doing so, they can cross the barrier of sensitive information which can lead to some devastating results. For example, smart gadgets correctly determine the ATM pin 87% and their efficiency reaches nearly 96%, in the case of computer passwords.

Computer Mice

Yes, you read it right! These innocent-looking computer peripherals can be used to keep an eye on the user. In 2012, some Singaporean employers adopted an innovative way of keeping tabs on their workers. They rigged computer mice with a microphone and SIM card and turned a regular device into a spying one. They would then call a specific mouse from their phones and the peripheral device will start recording any audio in a range of about 10 meters. Quite an innovative way of making sure that your employees are focused on the job.