Not all the additional features of the devices we use at home or at work are visible: there are smoke detectors with a built-in mini camera and table lamps that, according to the product description, can listen in real time. Some pens and lighters are able to record and record sound.
Such everyday devices not only fulfill their purpose, but also have questionable additional functions.
They record us without even noticing
Consumers who are unfamiliar with electronic devices may not even notice that they can eavesdrop on conversations or make videos in their own home. In this regard, Fite Wolf of the Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur) recalls that spyware is banned in Germany. “Spyware is one that secretly records sound or a picture and is able to transmit it over a radio or mobile network,” Wolfe said.
These devices include phones that have an eavesdropping option, often called “sound monitoring”, “baby monitor function” or “one-way call”. The Federal Network Agency has researched devices and even stopped selling them if the microphone or camera can be activated via an app or SMS command. With smartwatches that have the appropriate features, third parties can, for example, eavesdrop on voices near the device. Last year, the Federal Agency stopped a total of more than 4,600 banned products – twice as many as the previous year, including robot vacuum cleaners, fragrances and handkerchief boxes that feature cameras and audio features.
However, not all devices with such additional features are illegal. According to the new German Data Protection Act (TTDSG), adopted on December 1, 2021, they are prohibited only if they connect to the Internet and thus transmit photo, video or audio materials. Asked about a specific smoke detector that can record video, the Federal Network Agency confirmed that the device is legally available in Germany. However, according to Wolf, this smoke detector can also be used illegally. This is the case, for example, when a person is secretly recorded with him. This is a crime.
Vulnerable to hacker attacks
Spyware devices that connect to the Internet are not just banned. They pose another serious problem, says IT security expert Oded Vanunu of Checkpoint in Tel Aviv. Undoubtedly, all these smart devices that connect to the Internet pose a risk to personal data in households and companies: “Because this access to the Internet can also be used by hackers,” explains Vanunu.
He demonstrates it with a table lamp. Once hacked, the IT expert can take full control of it, including turning it on and off and changing the color of the light. “My lamp serves not only as an access point, but also as an attack point for other devices that are connected in the house. I can access everything and do everything,” Vanunu explains. Hackers can also use the lamp to break into a victim’s computer to steal data from it.
Read the product description!
When purchasing devices with additional features, users should be careful that the device also has a camera and microphone, that it can wirelessly transmit data unnoticed, and that third parties can access it.
A spokesman for the Federal Network Agency, Wolf, advised users to “read the product description carefully.” Anyone with doubts can contact the responsible institutions. In Germany, it’s the Bundesnetzagentur, says Wolff. After all, who wants a spy in their own home?
The article has been published HERE >>
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