British spies can hack your phone and use it without your knowledge: Edward Snowden

Edward Snowden, the face of rebellion against the spying practices of the US NSA, has now trained his guns at the British spy agencies. According to the whistleblower, British Spies can easily hack into your smartphones. The process, apparently, is as simple as sending a text message to your cell phone. Once inside the system, the agencies can access your data, record your conversations and even take pictures from your phone’s camera without your knowledge.

“They want to own your phone instead of you,” said the whistleblower talking with BBC, he was referring to Britain’s Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) agency.

According to Snowden, the agency will send a message to the owner’s phone, which will not be noticed by him. “When it arrives at your phone it’s hidden from you. It doesn’t display”, said Snowden. Thereafter, the agency takes control of the hardware, and it’s owned by them. “You paid for it (the phone) but whoever controls the software owns the phone,” he added.

The “exploit” used by these agencies, according to Snowden, is named after The Smurfs, the blue coloured cartoon characters. The spy software comes in the form of a full-fledged suite and has multiple functions. The part of the suite which gives access of the phone’s microphone to the spies is known as the “Nosey Smurf”. This specific exploit has the capability of switching on the phone’s mic even when the phone itself is switched off. Other parts of the programme known as the “Tracker Smurf” and “Dreamy Smurf”, allow phones to be switched on and off from a remote location respectively.

[x_blockquote cite=”Edward Snowden” type=”left”]You paid for it (the phone) but whoever controls the software owns the phone[/x_blockquote]

In response to Snowden’s allegations, the government, according to BBC has refused to comment stating ‘policy’ on intelligence matters as a reason. The British government is also planning a law that gives the authorities more powers to track online activity of the suspects.

Snowden, according the US government, allegedly stole up to 1.77 million documents of the NSA while he was working with them in Hawaii between March 2012 and May 2013. He has been charged by the US with espionage and theft of government property. He has been living in exile in Russia since June 2013.

Whether we believe it or not, espionage through smartphones is the harsh reality of today’s connected age. Unfortunately, for the common man, there is no way to figure who’s spying on him, and when. For all we know, each one of the smartphones on the market today come bugged right from the factory, and every living moment of our lives is being documented as an evidence, meant to be pulled out as a proof of a ‘crime’ we committed if and when needed.

Does that make the world a fairer place to live in? Or do the vices of this attack on an individual’s privacy far outweigh the advantage of being able to avert a possible danger? Do let us know your thoughts and opinions. It’s a subject each one of needs to speak out about.