Mobile Devices Banned From UK Cabinet Meetings Over Surveillance Fears 116
MightyMartian writes "British securities services fear foreign intelligence agencies have developed the ability to turn mobile devices such as phones and tablets into bugs without the owner's knowledge, allowing them to eavesdrop on confidential meetings. According to the article, UK security services fear China, Russia and Pakistan have figured out a way to turn mobiles into microphones, and have them transmit even when they're off. Ministers in sensitive government departments have been issued with soundproof lead-lined boxes, which they must place their mobiles in when having sensitive conversations."
Funny thing about backdoors (Score:5, Insightful)
It's Okay When We Do It (Score:5, Insightful)
Per this [slashdot.org], I feel comfortable saying cry me a river.
The outrage over foreign spying--in particular Chinese backdoors--on the part of the American intelligence community is really a form of the same thing: it's okay when we do it, but as soon as anyone else does the same thing to us, it's a gross affront to our privacy and the relationship we have with the spying party and possibly an act of war. I realize intelligence agencies are trained to think this way, but is it really so terribly difficult to grasp that if you don't want it done to yourself, it's probably a sign you shouldn't be doing it to others?
Fixed that for you (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:It's Okay When We Do It (Score:4, Insightful)
... it's okay when we do it, but as soon as anyone else does the same thing to us, it's a gross affront to our privacy and the relationship we have with the spying party and possibly an act of war.
Well, yeah; that's because we're God's chosen people, so everything we do to those foreigners is good and moral, but if they do it to us, they're evil and wrong.
[Plug in your favorite country, and translate to that country's official language(s), if necessary, to reach full understanding of how human governments work.]
Its Rupert and co they (Score:4, Insightful)
British gov't afraid of surveillance? (Score:3, Insightful)
We aren't even talking about citizens being the recorders (which would be super-ironic).
When the people in your government don't trust their closest co-workers, there's reason to be concerned about the health of the entire leadership system.