# Please help me buy a good rental anti-debugging device. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 13, 2015, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-buy-a-good-rental-anti-debugging-device/737444 "2015-11-13T06:01:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2015, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-buy-a-good-rental-anti-debugging-device/737444/41 "2015-11-14T22:23:33Z")
> [@astro](#): > > A number of you are making fun of the OP and maybe he’s off his meds and going super paranoid … Dopers do have our fair share of mental issues, but stop and consider that if someone really \* wanted\* to observe you in your rented house (that they had access to at some point) there is no easier, cheaper and more effective time in history for a private individual to accomplish this task than today. > [Here’s a 12 dollar pinhole camera.](http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Micro-Mini-Camera-Camcorder-Video-Recorder-DVR-Spy-Hidden-Pinhole-Web-cam/32432447433.html?currencyType=USD&src=google&albch=shopping&acnt=708-803-3821&isdl=y&aff_short_key=UneMJZVf&albcp=206813665&albag=14156629225&slnk=&trgt=56128534817&plac=&crea=en32432447433&netw=&device=c&mtctp=&gclid=CJu9_JizkMkCFcQRHwodVPgPZw) > > Your cell phone conversations are routinely monitored by ["Stingray"](https://www.aclu.org/map/stingray-tracking-devices-whos-got-them)hardware that local police and the feds use. Cameras are everywhere now. CAR GPS trackers are minute [and sold by Amazon](http://www.amazon.com/Real-Micro-GPS-Tracker-White/dp/B008YHQX6Q) these days. If the OP is involved in a legal tussle or just being harassed by a crazy person being bugged is not an impossible concept. Stingray monitors cell phone locations, not conversations. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2015, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-buy-a-good-rental-anti-debugging-device/737444/42 "2015-11-14T22:24:31Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > Stingray monitors cell phone locations, not conversations. That’s what THEY tell you, but WE know better. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2015, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-buy-a-good-rental-anti-debugging-device/737444/43 "2015-11-15T03:29:48Z")
> [@DrFidelius](#): > > That’s what THEY tell you, but WE know better. Shhhh… They’ll hear you! ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2015, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-buy-a-good-rental-anti-debugging-device/737444/44 "2015-11-15T05:35:04Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > In seriousness, I wonder if we’ll see the OP in this thread again. Oh. It’s been an interesting thread. ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2015, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-buy-a-good-rental-anti-debugging-device/737444/45 "2015-11-15T05:39:05Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > But landlords installing monitors in rental property for essentially defensive purposes is far from unknown. Any renter could be subjected to that unwittingly and unwillingly. Regardless of whether the renter is middle class or a lowlife or a nutter. > > What the OP has not yet provided to us is any info about \*why \*he believes he’s being surveiled. If/when we hear that part of the story we can pretty well decide whether the OP has an actual factual reason to be worried. I cant say that if I owned rental property I might do some of the same. We once stayed at a BNB house and they had some cameras installed outdoors. Thing is they warned us about them ahead of time and their purpose was so nobody would be outside making noise past 10 pm which upsets the neighborhood. I can also see having some type of detector to detect smoking on your property. A renter might also want to know who exactly is staying in their units if say they are only for 1 person and they sneak in a roommate. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2015, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-buy-a-good-rental-anti-debugging-device/737444/46 "2015-11-15T05:59:02Z")
I have personal rules about paranoia. 1. When people are watching and following you, being paranoid is just good planning. B. Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean people aren’t watching and following you. III. You know those people who are watching and following you everywhere you go? They’re Hollywood Talent Scouts. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2015, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-buy-a-good-rental-anti-debugging-device/737444/47 "2015-11-16T05:49:08Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > I have personal rules about paranoia. > > 1. When people are watching and following you, being paranoid is just good planning. > B. Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean people aren’t watching and following you. > III. You know those people who are watching and following you everywhere you go? They’re Hollywood Talent Scouts. [Or possibly you are the star…](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7R2IJFCUBFs) ---
**Author:** ![Habeed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a587f6/32.png) [@Habeed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Habeed)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2015, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-buy-a-good-rental-anti-debugging-device/737444/48 "2015-11-16T08:52:46Z")
The “bug detectors” they show in the movies rely on the bug being an actively transmitting device. If the thing talks back to base in bursts or is hard-wired, it ain’t going to work. I think your best bet is to avoid conversations you are concerned about being bugged about while inside the rental home. Step outside somewhere. Leave your cell phone behind - if the NSA has rootkitted your phone, it’s the best bug they could ever use, because it’s a high quality microphone attached to a large storage drive and high speed radio and you voluntarily carry it everywhere. Some people have psychological issues where they feel they are being watched and find the experience unpleasant. I personally don’t ever talk about things that, especially if the bug captured the context, I would be concerned about others knowing. I don’t have a big pile of assets for private thieves to steal, what little I do have they could just steal without needing to bug me, and I don’t know or talk about things the NSA would care about. Anyways, if you irrationally feel that others are watching and this is bad, get professional help and medication. You have a mental problem. Now, if you lied in the OP and you are involved in some enterprise where secrecy is paramount, then don’t talk inside your home. If they are \*really \*out to get you, they’ll use laser microphones…or more likely, some of your friends have turned traitor and are secretly wearing wires and working for the FBI. No point in looking for bugs. ---
**Author:** ![davida03801](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5e925/32.png) [@davida03801](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davida03801)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2015, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-buy-a-good-rental-anti-debugging-device/737444/49 "2015-11-16T11:25:50Z")
If your renting and have this much concern, why not just move ? ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2015, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-buy-a-good-rental-anti-debugging-device/737444/50 "2015-11-16T15:01:53Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > I have personal rules about paranoia. > > 1. When people are watching and following you, being paranoid is just good planning. > B. Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean people aren’t watching and following you. > III. You know those people who are watching and following you everywhere you go? They’re Hollywood Talent Scouts. And add FOUR: Just because you’re NOT paranoid doesn’t mean people AREN’T watching you. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-me-buy-a-good-rental-anti-debugging-device/737444.md?page=2)