At what point will conservatives admit Bush has gone too far?

[Arnfinn Madsen]

[ QUOTE ]
However, this is detectable simply because the display of the phone will switch to the "call active" screen.

[/ QUOTE ]
It can be activated without this.

[ QUOTE ]
Now, it's also possible that the CIA makes all cell manufacturers and service providers install a backdoor that lets them remotely activate the phone with no visible status indicators.

[/ QUOTE ]
Not necessary to install a backdoor. The functionality is needed for other processes and is thus already present.


[ QUOTE ]
Of course, this also would be detectable, since the phone will be pumping out it's normal transmission to the nearest tower. A clock radio near your phone is enough to tip you off if you have a TDMA or GSM phone. CDMA phones tend to generate less of that type of interference, but their transmissions are still detectable by rudimentary equipment.

[/ QUOTE ]
Yes, you can buy a detector at price appx. $1 which you can install on your phone which makes it impossible for the phone to send information (bugging the room) without you being aware (a red light will turn on).

[Arnfinn Madsen]

And while elaborating on countersurveillance (you guys may be needing it some day [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]), there exists also cellular phones that encrypts all sound collected from the microphone, thus making bugging the room very difficult (I don't know if CIA has cracked the algorythm or not). However, with such a phone you can only make calls to other similar phones, not to a regular phone.