Tapping phone lines to help prevent terror

Frederico

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/5301146.stm

Sure our governments have been doing it for years, why not? I love the way they mention the use of "Chinese technology".

FTA69

The cops in this country have been doing this for years, my phone has been tapped for the past 4 bloody years. I don't see the news-worthiness of this issue at all to be honest.

esskay

@FTA69

Just out of curiosity, how would a person know their phone is tapped?

oscarBravo

I'm curious about that too. I'm also curious as to whether the alleged phone tap is on foot of a warrant (and if so, why?) or whether it's an illegal phone tap (and if so, why bitch about it here instead of having the wrong righted?).

FTA69

Just out of curiosity, how would a person know their phone is tapped?

First of all Republicans automatically assume their phones are tapped, it simply takes a few seconds to enter a mobile number into a computer to set up a tap. The tap will then be activated automatically if another person whom the police take an interest in rings you, they can also be activated when someone says a number of key words. Often the taps leave a slight distortion over the line, for instance a delay in recieving a ringing tone (while the call is processed through a computer), clicks or a slight to a pronounced echo on the line. I used to work in a call centre where they frequently record calls for training etc and am quite familiar with the subject.

I'm curious about that too. I'm also curious as to whether the alleged phone tap is on foot of a warrant (and if so, why?) or whether it's an illegal phone tap (and if so, why bitch about it here instead of having the wrong righted?).

Right the wrong? Police set up taps whenever they feel like it, as part of intelligence gathering, they only need to display a warrant in the event of them using it in court, which they rarely do and if things don't come to court they won't be asked to display a warrant for it. The police aren't exactly adverse to breaking the law either.

oscarBravo

FTA69 wrote:

First of all Republicans automatically assume their phones are tapped, it simply takes a few seconds to enter a mobile number into a computer to set up a tap. The tap will then be activated automatically if another person whom the police take an interest in rings you, they can also be activated when someone says a number of key words.

Are you seriously telling us that a mobile phone operator will blithely tap any phone on request?

FTA69 wrote:

Often the taps leave a slight distortion over the line, for instance a delay in recieving a ringing tone (while the call is processed through a computer), clicks or a slight to a pronounced echo on the line.

Those all sound like bog-standard artifacts of a cellular network.

FTA69 wrote:

Right the wrong? Police set up taps whenever they feel like it, as part of intelligence gathering, they only need to display a warrant in the event of them using it in court, which they rarely do and if things don't come to court they won't be asked to display a warrant for it. The police aren't exactly adverse to breaking the law either.

Doubtless you have evidence for this extremely serious allegation.

Moriarty

FTA69 wrote:

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*boggles*

It's quite obvious you have absolutely no idea what you're talking about on the technical side of things. I have to admit it's amusing to watch though