Is Your Cell Phone Bugged?

Are they listening in on your cell phone calls?  It's pretty much common knowledge that many cell phones can now be converted to work as surreptitious eavesdropping devices. All it takes is some simple changes to the cell phone software (courtesy of your abiding cell phone company) and the government (or anyone else with the secret sauce) can use your cell phone microphone as an always-on transmitter, recording not just your calls but anything you happen to say when you're in the same room as your handset.

Lauren Weinstein links to this interesting (if low-budget) video he made about cell phone bugs (or taps) and how to tell if you've been targeted. Here are the secrets:

• Watch for excessive battery rundown when you aren't using your phone more than usual.
• Remove the battery completely when the phone is not in use.
• Check for excessive heat from your phone when not in use.
• If you have a GSM phone, hold it near a regular audio speaker and see if there is buzzing from interference when the phone is supposedly off. If the speaker buzzes, that means it's transmitting. Watch the video to understand specifically what kind of buzzing to watch for.

As Weinstein notes, you are almost certainly not carrying a bugged cell phone in your pocket. But if you have cause to be concerned, these tests are very easy to perform and are reasonably reliable, too.