FBI Can Turn On Your Laptop Camera Without Indicator Light

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

Scary. Insane. Ridiculous. Invasive. Wrong. The Washington Post reports that the FBI has had the ability to secretly activate a computer's camera "without triggering the light that lets users know it is recording" for years now. What in the hell is going on? What kind of world do we live in?

Marcus Thomas, the former assistant director of the FBI's Operational Technology Division, told the Post that that sort of creepy spy laptop recording is "mainly" used in terrorism cases or the "most serious" of criminal investigations. That doesn't really make it less crazy (or any better) since the very idea of the FBI being able to watch you through your computer is absolutely disturbing.

The whole Post piece about the FBI's search for a bomb threat suspect is worth reading. It shows how far the FBI will go with its use of malware to spy on people and reveals the occasional brain dead mistakes the FBI makes to screw themselves over (like a typo of an e-mail address that the FBI wanted to keep tabs on). Good to know these completely competent folks are watching over us by any means necessary.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/busin...2ba174-5397-11e3-9e2c-e1d01116fd98_story.html

Good think my laptop is so old it doesn't have a webcam

 

[Tanin]

I use my webcam so rarely I don't even have the drivers for it. It wouldn't even work if they did turn it on.

 

[runawayboulder]

I use my webcam so rarely I don't even have the drivers for it. It wouldn't even work if they did turn it on.

Maybe they'll fix it for you....

 

[Nell2ThaIzzay]

If they did turn it on all they are going to see is fapping. Sooo... hope it's worth it for them!

 

[Piper Maru]

Why are they doing this? All they're going to see is people staring into a white glow, picking their noses and vigorous fapping sessions.

 

[childeroland]

Makes you wonder what else they're using it for -- I mean, they did say "mainly."

 

[Lord]

They do this to see terroristas fapping, isn't that obvious?

 

[Morg]

*waves* pay no attention to that nuclear bomb in the background Mr FBI







* I better not get a visit!*

 

[Teelie]

This should soon go before a court and ruled unconstitutional on 4th Amendment grounds.

 

[enterthemadness]

right now they would see my picking my nose andn trying to type with the clean fingers.


TMI indeeeeeed.

FBI: he is digging for gold.

 

[KevanG]

My laptop is so busted I'm not sure if the camera even works anymore.

 

[runawayboulder]

If the FBI wants to see people fapping so much, then they should just go to Chat Roulette.

 

[Piper Maru]

Well if they're spying on the people of the hype, they would find that half the users faces are buried in pie and the other in cake.

 

[Xeno]

Hackers can do this, too, or so I've read.

Under the glorious Patriot Act it's all good and legal so it's useless to protest now. Any US citizen who now feels outraged over the ridiculous domestic spying and detention powers that the government has should have been with those of us who objected when the Patriot Act was authorized. Fat lot of good protesting did any of us except maybe get our names put on watch lists.

 

[DirtyHarry]

Everytime something like this comes out, "bla bla bla terrorists...."

 

[NewYorkSpider]

If people are that paranoid, all they have to do is tape a little piece of paper over the camera if they don't use it that much.