prepaid cell phones

Hi

Cell phones can be tracked as in the sense they can be triangulated via the cell towers, alot of phones have GPS built in theory the cell companies and law inforcement can track a specific cell.

The phone conversation can also be recorded and reviewed as majority of digital data passed though government agencies to filter trigger words, with specific equipement people can pick up conversations in the street, but does this happen, may do but more so in the movies.

Dont want to get all cloak and dagger or go down the route of paranoia or conspiracy theories as in the main cell conversations are not subject to being listened into, unless you are on some sort of watch list, which I doubt.


Also have to say even using a normal land line or the internet the information data can be captured if someone is willing to take the time and buy the right equipement, as well as jsut talking to someone in the street, what you throw away in the trash, which is why shredding of personal info as in anything with your name, address, statements, old documents, anything with your signature etc is advisable


On a personal note, I have never worried about personal information being captured, but I take precautions of knowing who I am telling personal info too and what info I am divulging.

 

Hi Sheena

Oh I agree with you the law has also changed in the UK (where I am) over the last 20yrs also, in relation to data and what you tell say government workers, have to say I actually work for a gov dept, its a nice one really (health service, research), but and this is slightly off your question but our internet and email services via the gov network is monitored, I know this for a fact as one of my emails a while back was filtered for what they said was an abusive word...... when I called them on this they said dont worry, however I said yes I will worry as you accused me of something I have not done as I haev the original email and know what it said so recover the filtered one and tell me what was abusive text.

long story shorter is that in the main they cannot recover these emails easily but they did mine and applogised as guess what the text was "I will turn off the dumb error messages and leave the full error to list, however we do need to test the system more for bugs that may creep in" two words in bold where the cause of the filtering, but goes to show what you send these days electronically is not always private.


Phone tapping is illegal in many countries unless court warrents are sought, listening equipement can be bought (whether its in the leagues of the pros and law enforcement is debatable) and Directional Zoom microphone, Laser Microphones (these can be pointed at a window and pick up the vibration of sound) etc can capture sound very well from a small distance.


But taking this to this extreme woudl drive you mad! cell phones and mediums are fine for us all, just if using a cell make sure if the info is personal to just check who is in the same area or room so they cannot eardrop on the conversation, as for instance I was on a train this weekend and could hear the full conversation of the person in the seat 2 rows in front of me.

David

 

Distance dont knwo if honest without looking it up, as I'm replying by what I know from memory, but here is a very quick search http://www.eyetek.com/product/directional-zoom-microphone/surveillance-microphones-and-amplifiers if you search Lazer/Laser Microphone you should find other items, also the home page of the link I just posted is a company that deals in what they call surveillance equipement.

Ah ok if you have a call with a customer/person and dont openly say any personal information, then when you hang up that call is terminated and they cannot hear anything you say once the call is terminated, unless they are in close proximity and are in earshot of you, but if you are in a home or office alone than likelyhood of eavesdropping a conversation you are having is unlikely.

Yes it does but also if you are these days using the equicpement of the company/gov agency you work for then they have clauses in their contracts that state that if you use company property and that is the phone, internet and email as well as written materials, it in the end is their property no matter the content, which is why you have to be careful what you do these days.

One UK law in part fo the data protection act is that if you mark an email in the title as private then unless its a matter of security or you are under suspicion of something it can be read but iirc this part with you present.

The legalities of the privacy of data these days be it phone/cell email/internet etc is a minefield and one I take serious to a point but stop at the obsessive. Data prvacy is part and parcel of my daily work.

 

Very true, but we do as a personal choice have the option to read the contract and agree to it, in reality do we, well not a leagalise is a pain in the butt to read and many of us just dont have the time, so in fact the onus is on us to read these things.

Just think that the version fo Windows that you bought is not in reality owned by you, but its ownership is still Microsofts you basically just rent it, as in many OSes.

If you read the EULAs completly they state this (from the Vista EULA)

If you wish to check out the EULAs to variosu MSFT products then here is the place.


I do agree with you privacy is being eroded and even more so with the cameras put up in cities to monitor the movement and social behaviour of citizens, but sadly our voice is quiet.