SurveillanceIntelligence agencies could use Internet-of-things to spy on people

Published 10 February 2016

James Clapper, the director of U.S. national intelligence, told lawmakers the other day that the Internet of things — baby monitors, TV set, home security devices, voice recognition dolls – may be used by intelligence services to spy on people. Clapper, testifying yesterday before a Senate panel, said that intelligence agencies might be able to use this new generation of household devices to increase their surveillance capabilities.

Timeline for full implentation of the Internet of Things // Source: wikipedia.org

James Clapper, the director of U.S. national intelligence, told lawmakers the other day that the Internet of things — baby monitors, TV set, home security devices, voice recognition dolls – may be used by intelligence services to spy on people.

The Independent reports that Clapper, testifying yesterday before a Senate panel, said that intelligence agencies might be able to use this new generation of household devices to increase their surveillance capabilities.

“In the future, intelligence services might use the [Internet of things] for identification, surveillance, monitoring, location tracking, and targeting for recruitment, or to gain access to networks or user credentials,” Clapper said.

Clapper did not refer specifically to any device, but the Guardian reports that security experts took it as a given that agencies could intercept signals coming from the newly networked devices, in the same way intelligence agencies and law enforcement can now eavesdrop on mobile phones.

The New York Times reports that Clapper’s comments highlight the fact that millions of people buying these networked devices may not realize they that are – or can be — being recorded, unless security features, deailed in the devices’ manuals, are activated.

The Times notes that among these networked devices are not only TV sets and computers, but also toothbrushes, door locks, watches, toasters, and bedsheets.

The Times reports that police have already asked Dogcam, owned by Google, for video footage from home cameras designed to keep their children safe, and that information from Fitbit, an electronic pedometer popular among joggers, has already been used in court against defendants.

Intelligence services and law enforcement may not be the only ones with interest in accessing the networked devices. All these apparently unsecured networks can also be breached by hackers. In fact, a new search engine called Shodan showed it can, without much trouble, tap into schools, baby cams, and people’s homes.