[excon]

Hello:

Couple questions.

Does my computer automatically go online to look for updates, or does Microsoft find my computer online?

In terms of the updates, from a purely technical standpoint, as opposed to the conspiratorial/ paranoid standpoint, is it possible for these service paks, or ANY download for that matter, to include a secret government mandated program, that COULD turn on the camera and the microphone remotely, without, of course, alerting the user?

Could your cell phone be programmed to do the same thing?

There are sites that allow you to let your friends track you via the GPS device in your phone. Can the government turn on that option remotely to find whomever it might be looking for?

excon

[tickle]

Your comments sound like the fairly recent movie 'Eagle Eye' with Shia Lebeouf or whever his name was. I think you stole the plot !

Just for the record I don't think Big Brother will ever be able to watch us like that.

Tick

[Curlyben]

Firstly it the automatic application of patches and service packs depends on your own setting on the machine.
You CAN set it to auto download and install, same goes for any installed software.

In theory ANY connected piece of technology can be used to mine data about you.
In practice this doesn't happen, certainly not by a company the size of micro$oft.

In UAE there was recently a government forced update to all Blackberries that basically logged all activity and sent this data to a centralised server farm.
This was soon discovered by a number of users and a MASSIVE row ensued.
Surprisingly enough it was removed a few days later.

There are a number of "hacker" application that can allow the remote control of attached cams and mics, but they are mostly detected by the various anti-Virus and Malware applications.

There's the rub, there's so many different groups using computers that even a government mandated update of this type would soon be discovered and disabled. Remember Sony tried to do something to copy protect their CD's and the back lash to that was pretty large as well.

[excon]

even a government mandated update of this type would soon be discovered and disabled. Remember Sony tried to do something to copy protect their CD's and the back lash to that was pretty large as well.

Hello ben:

Thanks. I feel better. So, I can stop giving the finger to my camera?

excon

[Curlyben]

Wish you would ;)