hoodlum
MuscleHead
- Jan 3, 2012
- 903
- 172
The other month I was chatting with someone about the use and implications of IMSI catchers (will explain these properly in detail once there is more time as I find them fascinating) and they showed me a fairly recent US patent which has been approved for Apple that I found pretty interesting, its obviously the next government tool that steps all over our rights and privacy so I thought I would do a quick write up of it here.
I will note that this doesn't just apply to iPhones and can just as easily apply to ANY other phone as well (or wireless device for that matter). Now this is US Patent 8254902 which is titled "Apparatus and methods for enforcement of policies upon a wireless device" and the containing information details exactly that. The patent approves a device to be used by (a) government or (b) any private business. This may be the scariest thing as if this technology was deployed on a wide scale such as indicated in the examples then practically anyone will be able to get their hands on it and completely control our devices.
The patent states that "various aspects of device functionality may be enabled or restricted" and later gives examples of "disable noise and/or light emanating", "preventing wireless devices from communicating", "forcing certain electronic devices to enter “sleep mode”", ability to disable "a cellular phone camera" and do sum up their intentions with it as a "need of providing an apparatus and methods of automatically disabling, replacing, or modifying the functionality of a wireless device" which shows the full spectrum of the patent really means; control over anything your phone can do.
You know, I'm almost inclined to believe this remote device to control our phones is for our own good... they say in the patient that "A person's sleep can even be interrupted by a bright flashing or modulating display (such as to indicate an incoming call)" when they are reasoning for the ability to remotelly shut off incoming calls... It's good to know the government is intending to shut off our phones so they don't wake us up...
They also state that "the wireless transmission of sensitive information to a remote source is one example of a threat to security" meaning basically... umm... using your phone is a threat to security? And they go on to actually give the example of sensitive information as "answers to an examination administered in an academic setting" so we can determine absolutely anything can be seemed 'sensitive information' and give the beholder the right to control our phone as they see fit. Although there are plenty of fake situations most people would seem 'harmless' like allowing movie cinema's to disable incoming calls its real purpose is hidden amongst trivial examples where it states that "Covert police or government operations may require complete “blackout” conditions". Yes, that's right... not only can police now disable or stop calls in a selected area (which would legitimately be used in a riot) but the bigger implication here is that they can disable video/sound recording of events. It's one thing to say violent protestors are calling others to back them up or organise something but its completely another to disable their ability to record police actions. Everyone carrying around a video camera is one of the very few things which forces the police to keep to upkeep the law.
I'm just pretty appauled that this patent is giving the government, apple and whoever else gets their hands on it complete control over our phones. Its not limited to enabling/disabling hardware and can be used to read your contacts, messages, pictures, etc - all without your consent or knowledge. Complete control over your phone, its here in black and white.
Google Link (easier to read) - http://www.google.com/patents/US8254902
US Patent 8678182 - http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-...&f=G&l=50&d=PALL&RefSrch=yes&Query=PN/8676182
I will note that this doesn't just apply to iPhones and can just as easily apply to ANY other phone as well (or wireless device for that matter). Now this is US Patent 8254902 which is titled "Apparatus and methods for enforcement of policies upon a wireless device" and the containing information details exactly that. The patent approves a device to be used by (a) government or (b) any private business. This may be the scariest thing as if this technology was deployed on a wide scale such as indicated in the examples then practically anyone will be able to get their hands on it and completely control our devices.
The patent states that "various aspects of device functionality may be enabled or restricted" and later gives examples of "disable noise and/or light emanating", "preventing wireless devices from communicating", "forcing certain electronic devices to enter “sleep mode”", ability to disable "a cellular phone camera" and do sum up their intentions with it as a "need of providing an apparatus and methods of automatically disabling, replacing, or modifying the functionality of a wireless device" which shows the full spectrum of the patent really means; control over anything your phone can do.
You know, I'm almost inclined to believe this remote device to control our phones is for our own good... they say in the patient that "A person's sleep can even be interrupted by a bright flashing or modulating display (such as to indicate an incoming call)" when they are reasoning for the ability to remotelly shut off incoming calls... It's good to know the government is intending to shut off our phones so they don't wake us up...
They also state that "the wireless transmission of sensitive information to a remote source is one example of a threat to security" meaning basically... umm... using your phone is a threat to security? And they go on to actually give the example of sensitive information as "answers to an examination administered in an academic setting" so we can determine absolutely anything can be seemed 'sensitive information' and give the beholder the right to control our phone as they see fit. Although there are plenty of fake situations most people would seem 'harmless' like allowing movie cinema's to disable incoming calls its real purpose is hidden amongst trivial examples where it states that "Covert police or government operations may require complete “blackout” conditions". Yes, that's right... not only can police now disable or stop calls in a selected area (which would legitimately be used in a riot) but the bigger implication here is that they can disable video/sound recording of events. It's one thing to say violent protestors are calling others to back them up or organise something but its completely another to disable their ability to record police actions. Everyone carrying around a video camera is one of the very few things which forces the police to keep to upkeep the law.
I'm just pretty appauled that this patent is giving the government, apple and whoever else gets their hands on it complete control over our phones. Its not limited to enabling/disabling hardware and can be used to read your contacts, messages, pictures, etc - all without your consent or knowledge. Complete control over your phone, its here in black and white.
Google Link (easier to read) - http://www.google.com/patents/US8254902
US Patent 8678182 - http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-...&f=G&l=50&d=PALL&RefSrch=yes&Query=PN/8676182
