The method, known as EM Eye, can even capture images through walls, raising huge concerns about the potential for misuse.
The research, led by Kevin Fu, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at Northeastern University, targets a vulnerability in the data transmission cables within most modern cameras. These cables unintentionally act as radio antennas, leaking electromagnetic information that can be picked up and decoded to reveal real-time video.
As reported by Tech Xplore, the vulnerability exists because manufacturers focus on protecting the intentional digital interfaces of cameras, such as the upload channel to the cloud, but overlook the potential for information leakage through accidental channels. “They never intended for this wire to become a radio transmitter, but it is,” Fu explains. “If you have your lens open, even if you think you have the camera off, we’re collecting.”
Cross post from https://lemmy.world/post/12081766
How fucking naive
is it tho. if your phones cams are not coincidentally covered by tables or the fabric of your pocket, where are they pointing, genius?
for most regular people, like me, covering them is pointless. the security measures in place are not perfect, but sufficient. someone who goes over the top to circumvent them will find he just gets to see a regular person doing regular things.
There is a significant possibility that within the next 10 years any western nation can go full authoritarian.
You will laugh naively and say that it won’t happen. And it is because of sentiments like this that we have a twice impeached fascist who idolizes shitler on the ballot for president later this year.
So can you imagine your country, with an authoritarian government in power with the ability to spy on literally every citizen?
Can you imagine that authoritarian government ‘disappearing’ dissidents based on their social media participation?
If you can answer yes to this, then you understand why it is CRITICAL to control every aspect of your identity exposure?
My phones front and back cams are covered with a clip until I want to use them. And that’s not even the beginning of what I do to limit my online profile.
you’re talking about the problems of a possible future, but taking non-preventative measures against it right now that are useless (for me and other regular people) right now.
if the dark future you’re describing becomes reality, i will gladly put a sticker on my phones cam, so the spy in the hallway can’t see your chin when you sit near my coffee table
The risk of exposure is great enough that if the chances were only 1% it would still be worth minimizing your online profile.
You can choose to wait until it is too late and I will have zero sympathy.