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allodial
12-11-15, 01:44 PM
Through a program referred to as "OK, Google" and Chrome, Google is spying on smartphone and PC microphones. This has been verified by myself and others through testing. The program is alleged to be part of a "Voice Search" program. It appears to use speech to the local microphone of a PC or smartphone to convert speech to text and then sends it off to a server. When one loads Chrome or Chromium (which secretly downloads OK, Google), this program then sends text of everything it hears to mysterious servers.

Ways it has been tested:

[1] laying of phones in front of televisions and setting them on non-English language TV stations, movies or programs. The result is that advertisements began to be presented to the user in the foreign language
[2] tests speaking of things like buying a gun or making home repairs. random phone calls from repair companies or SMS texts about sales on gun safes.
[3] pretending to be arguing or fighting around the phone. Random calls in the middle of the argument which are believed from crisis counselors.

One way allegedly to disable OK, Google, one goes under Google Settings for the phone rather than the the general phone settings and to turn off VOICE SEARCH. You can look this up online.

NOTE: Chromium which is allegedly to be a more privacy friendly version of the Chrome browser is said to quietly and secretly download OK, Google anyway. Thing is here, maybe voice search might be handy for some but the problem is: IT STAYS ON.

Ways to deal with this:

[1] Making sure OK Google or Voice Search is disabled on smartphone or wherever else it might run;
[2] Using a smartphone microphone blocker such as Mic Block (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bettertomorrowapps.microphoneblockf ree&hl=en) (this program works)
[3] Using XPrivacy (http://repo.xposed.info/module/biz.bokhorst.xprivacy)and XPosed (Xposed Installer)on your smartphone to control rights and access to Contacts, Internet, Email, Identity, etc. on Android systems
[4] In Windows 7/8/8.1 one can disable microphones on laptops under Device Manager or using the Microphone Icon on the taskbar (recording devices). A microphone connected to a PC or built into a PC should be treated as hot and live at all times
[5] Placing your phone near something noisy when not in use (use your imagination?)

{Use an old flip phone?}

3279

Platforms:
[1] Desktops, laptops and smartphones running Google Chrome and possibly any other Google products.
[2] Android smartphones or tablets
[3] possible iPhone platforms too

Again this has been tested and verified.

Related:

Not OK, Google: Chromium Voice Extension Pulled After Spying Concerns (http://arstechnica.com/security/2015/06/not-ok-google-chromium-voice-extension-pulled-after-spying-concerns/)
Covert Installations of ‘Eavesdropping Tool’ Raise Alarm (https://www.rt.com/news/269203-google-eavesdropping-tool-browser/)
Google Eavesdropping Tool Installed On Computers Without Permission (http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jun/23/google-eavesdropping-tool-installed-computers-without-permission)
Samsung's Voice-Recording Smart TVs Breach Privacy Law, Campaigners Claim (http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/feb/27/samsung-voice-recording-smart-tv-breach-privacy-law-campaigners-claim)
Google Secretly Distributed Spy Software That Can Take Over Your Microphone (http://action.sumofus.org/a/google-spyware/?)
How To Download Free Android Apps Without Logging Into Google Play (http://apps.evozi.com/apk-downloader/)
Spies Can Listen to Your iPhone Microphone Even If It Is Switched OFF, Experts Reveal (http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/technology-science/technology/spies-can-listen-your-iphone-3670347) {I would not consider Snowden to be an expert}



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrmwdMYkDek

allodial
12-11-15, 02:00 PM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uuARxc9g_A