As an example, on my first Lyft ride getting picked up at home, the driver stopped in front of the wrong building as that building was showing as my address for some reason. The driver was able to immediately take a picture of the correct building and update it on the Lyft app. Took about 5 seconds. But only because the app had access to his camera.
Now that you mention it, that totally makes sense. I get a text from them when a ride is arriving, but it’s from the same number. It wouldn’t be the same number from different drivers’ phones.
What’s really creeping me out about smartphone eavesdropping is how apps will use the microphone to figure out what’s going on in your life, and communicate with other smart devices in the vicinity. Forbes link about Facebook app
Have you heard of the NSA’s (National Security Agency) spying scandal? The following report says the US government is actively monitoring and recording all voice telephone calls and all Internet usage by US citizens. That includes all Emails, all Instant Messages and all your other activity when you use the Internet.
Since you must have read my post, it includes a link to the report that contains that info. But you may have scroll down a few paragraphs. I will try to find the exact spot for you now.
Dang! I know that somewhere in that story is a reference to how the govt is doing this for more than just a 30 day period.
But I have to go. Can someone please take a look and tell Telemark where that is located. It may be in another story. But I def recall seeing that after reading this link.
I swear that I saw it somewhere somehow and it really did scare the bleep out of me. Please, can someone try to find the link that says where and how the US govt is now monitoring and recording everything that US citizens are doing and saying when they use the Internet and it’s being done on an ongoing basis.
Here are some extracts from the story to which I linked:
This story is usually referred to as the NSA Spying Scandal.
Here is the portion which indicates that it was extended and it is longer than just 3 months and it applies to several other companies - not just Verizon and their 100 million telephone users.
See this part of the story. Does this scare you? It sure does scare me.
President Barack Obama described the programmes as vital to keeping Americans safe and said the US was “going to have to make some choices between balancing privacy and security to protect against terror”. The NSA access was enabled by changes to US surveillance law introduced under President George Bush and renewed under Obama in December 2012.
Why does this scare me? Because it appears the US Govt (or more specifically President Obama) believes it is OK to spy on US citizens in order to protect them. Maybe it’s just a difference of opinion. But I sure don’t think it’s OK.
Sorry. I got stymied by the Edit time limit. Here is the remainder of my post that I could not enter above.
See this part of the story. Does this scare you? It sure does scare me.
President Barack Obama described the programmes as vital to keeping Americans safe and said the US was “going to have to make some choices between balancing privacy and security to protect against terror”. The NSA access was enabled by changes to US surveillance law introduced under President George Bush and renewed under Obama in December 2012.
Why does this scare me? Because it appears the US Govt (or more specifically President Obama) believes it is OK to spy on all US citizens in order to protect them. That means everyone - whether they are suspected of any wrongdoing or not. It doesn’t matter. They can monitor and record every single thing you say on your telephone and everything you send and receive when you use the Internet.
Maybe it’s just a difference of opinion. But I sure don’t think this is OK.
Perhaps the important question is how much should the government invade its citizens’ privacy and security to protect against terror.
I sure don’t want to live in a place where the government can monitor and record everything I send and receive from the Internet.
By the way, that would include everything I post on this forum and everything that I get to see as well.
No Bueno.
Not acceptable to my way of thinking. How about you?
I don’t understand to which “file” you are referring.
I’m just trying to provide some info about governments spying on its citizens. I’m dismayed to see that people are saying the US government actively spies on all its citizens by monitoring and recording everything they do when connected to the Internet.
If it’s true, it seems very important to me to try and do something to prevent this because just like in the book 1984, if a government knows everything you say and do, how much freedom can you actually have?
I am no fan of George Bush and wasn’t surprised to see The Guardian accuse him of being the primary backer of this law. However, I was very surprised to see that President Obama supported this development. I always thought he was a champion of Democracy and freedom. It was a real shock to hear that he supports this kind of spying.
I’d very much like to know how you feel about drivng for one of these companies and having them spy one you in such an invasive manner.
Are you really OK with this?
You have posted some very factual info and the tone of your posts seems to be quite even tempered. But I feel like something is missing - namely how you feel about it. Do you think it’s a good idea for the government to monitor and record everything you do? Do you not have a problem with that?
I don’t know exactly why. But I always had the imprssion that you were in favor of peoples’ rights to individual liberty and their rights to personal freedoms - like the standard human rights.
Freedom of the Press. Freedom to worship. Freedom to assemble. Freedom of speech. And there are many more that IMO, seem vital to a free society. Are you OK with the government taking away all your personal freedoms in return for the promise to protect you against terrorism?
I think it’s a very difficult call. I think that I would be willing to give up most of those personal freedoms in return for the protections against terrorism. But there’s a big difference between the protection against terrorism and the **“promise” **to protect citizens against terrorism.
I wouldn’t trust the govt to protect me against terrorism based soley on a promise. Just look back to their promise to eradicate drugs from the American society. For some reason that promise was never really worth very much. Was it?
Are you wiling to give up your persona freedoms in return for another one of their promises? Personally, I couldn’t trust them to deliver on any such promise.
I am pretty sure the Twitter app also reads texts. I was joking with someone via text and mentioned Hot Pockets a few times. Suddenly every promoted tweet I got in my Twitter feed was from Hot Pockets.
Bumping this thread to note that the Uber driver charged with the recent killings in Michigan told police that the app took over his “mind and body” and that his smartphone directed him where to go and when to shoot people.
By contrast, it sounds like the OP got off relatively easily.