Beware the smart device: Alexa and Siri can hear this hidden command – You can’t

[mountaineer]

If you really want to be "off the grid," I guess you need to ditch all electronic communications devices:

Cops can locate anyone’s cell phone in real time without a warrant, all thanks to a privacy backdoor
Posted on May 14, 2018
 by True Pundit Staff

Pervasive government surveillance might be virtually expected by this point, but in theory, there’s a robust legal system to deal with cops surveilling citizens. Law enforcement agencies are supposed to get a warrant and serve that to cellphone companies, who then provide the data.

But according to a New York Times report, a company that primarily deals with prison phone systems has leveraged a data-sharing service offered by phone carriers to allow cops to track any cellphone number, with no legal checks in place to stop it being abused.

According to the report, a former sheriff of Mississippi County, Missouri, used a service called Securus to surveil targets’ cell phones, including a judge and other police officers. Securus used a data system that cell phone companies typically offer to marketers who want to micro-target consumers based on data, including their location. But in this case, Securus tapped into the system and offers its subscribers virtually uncontrolled access to nationwide location tracking.  ...

Rest of story

[thackney]

If you really want to be "off the grid," I guess you need to ditch all electronic communications devices:Rest of story

https://www.amazon.com/Faraday-EMP-6pc-Survivalists-Preppers/dp/B01IQN7QG8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1526315756&sr=8-1&keywords=emp+bags

$8 for 6 phone sized bags.  Lots of choices for this, or maybe just an empty chip bag.

[catfish1957]

In for a great practical joke?  I did this to my wife and one of her friends.

Set a reminder or two or three, when you know they are there.

I then set a reminder for 10:00, 10:15, and 10:30

1st reminder-   You two ladies are damn ugly

2nd reminder-  You two ladies ever thought of skipping a meal or two?

3rd reminder- Do you two have a cage?  Guess, I need to call the dog catcher.  Calling......

Once she figured it out, I had little hell to pay, but it was worth it.

[roamer_1]

@BassWrangler

Does not work on my computer, Windows 10. On mine, it cannot be disabled. You can disable functions on it like to keep it from using voice, but there is no way to disable it. Even if you go to Task Manager and disable the process Cortana, it starts itself right back up automatically. It is a Frankenstein App, you cannot kill it. (on my computer)

@240B
Yeah, you can...
First though, are you signed in with a local account, or are you signed in with a microsoft account? Because if you are signed in to a MS account, I dunno what this might do...

Settings=>Accounts
If it says 'Local account' under your name, and has an option to 'sign in with a microsoft account instead', you are golden.

If you are signed in to a Microsoft Account, and care about your privacy, I would highly recommend creating a local account instead. Back up your stuff first, and you will likely lose all your settings...

There used to be an option in that case to 'sign into a local account instead' in 'Accounts', but I don't know if that option is still there. ALL of my machines, and ALL of my clients are signed in to local accounts, right off the bat.

But anyway, there's this little gizmo by O&O software called Shutup10... It is free, and requires no installation... Just download it, save it somewhere where you can find it again, and run it. Under the 'Actions' menu, I use the yellow 'Recommended and somewhat recommended settings', and pretty much all of the Windows spyware is shut off, including Cortana.

Any time you get an update, you'll have to run it again - Sometimes M$ turns stuff back on during the updates... Just fire it up, goto Actions, and select the yellow option again, and close... You may need to suffer a restart, but everything will be turned off again with this easy method.

[240B]

@roamer_1 Just downloaded and ran the ShutUp App. The result was unbelievable. Not only did it turn off Cortana, which I thought was impossible, but now my computer runs faster and starts up faster. There are far fewer processes running in the task manager, and much less ethernet traffic during startup. It had a very positive effect.

I don't know how to thank you Mr. Roamer, that app really did perform beyond expectations.

[Cyber Liberty]

@roamer_1 Just downloaded and ran the ShutUp App. The result was unbelievable. Not only did it turn off Cortana, which I thought was impossible, but now my computer runs faster and starts up faster. There are far fewer processes running in the task manager, and much less ethernet traffic during startup. It had a very positive effect.

I don't know how to thank you Mr. Roamer, that app really did perform beyond expectations.

Imma git me somma dat when I get homes.

[roamer_1]

@roamer_1 Just downloaded and ran the ShutUp App. The result was unbelievable. Not only did it turn off Cortana, which I thought was impossible, but now my computer runs faster and starts up faster. There are far fewer processes running in the task manager, and much less ethernet traffic during startup. It had a very positive effect.

That's right - And it's good you know your way around good enough to understand that! Sorry if I treated you as a n00b - You never know...

And yeah - I like my privacy, but I am a real stickler for performance, and I HATE useless crap running in the background... All that M$ approved spyware takes up a whole lot of cycles. Get rid of it, right?

I don't know how to thank you Mr. Roamer, that app really did perform beyond expectations.

Por nada friend. Happy to be of service.
 

[Cyber Liberty]

I ran @roamer_1's app, and it worked to get rid of Cortana.  I had to run it twice, though.  After the first time I ran it, Cortana was still there, and there was a "Telemetry" that was switched back on after the reboot.  Now, after the second pass, Cortana is gone from my task manager.

Oh, BTW, I was logged in under microsoft, and there was an option to sign in as a local user instead.  I did so before I started fiddling with the app from Roamer.

[roamer_1]

I ran @roamer_1's app, and it worked to get rid of Cortana.  I had to run it twice, though.  After the first time I ran it, Cortana was still there, and there was a "Telemetry" that was switched back on after the reboot.  Now, after the second pass, Cortana is gone from my task manager.

That's unusual, @Cyber Liberty ... but I am glad you prevailed.

Oh, BTW, I was logged in under microsoft, and there was an option to sign in as a local user instead.  I did so before I started fiddling with the app from Roamer.

Thanks for that - I really didn't know, as it has been several iterations of Win10 since I have seen a machine logged in to an MS account...

I dare say logging in that way again will likely turn a lot of the telemetry back on...

As you likely assume, the app is a little reg hacker... I used to maintain my own, but it was tedious, and once I found O&Os offering (I have used their soft for a very long time) I was happy to let them manage that hot mess.

[Cyber Liberty]

That's unusual, @Cyber Liberty ... but I am glad you prevailed.

Thanks for that - I really didn't know, as it has been several iterations of Win10 since I have seen a machine logged in to an MS account...

I dare say logging in that way again will likely turn a lot of the telemetry back on...

As you likely assume, the app is a little reg hacker... I used to maintain my own, but it was tedious, and once I found O&Os offering (I have used their soft for a very long time) I was happy to let them manage that hot mess.

Yeah, I think I'll like it.  We'll see over time if it fixes the hangs Firefox used to give me, for no apparent reason.  I D/Led the app to my desktop so I'll be able to find it easily.

Added:  When I switched to local user, none of my settings were changed. 

[roamer_1]

Yeah, I think I'll like it.  We'll see over time if it fixes the hangs Firefox used to give me, for no apparent reason.  I D/Led the app to my desktop so I'll be able to find it easily.

@Cyber Liberty

It makes an .ini that you've probably noticed... Take that with if you move it somewhere else... or you'll lose your prefs...

Firefox hangs= I quit having trouble once I redirected the temp directory out of the profile... I put it in C:\TEMP\Firefox\.

Name this 'user.js' and drop it in your FF profile root...
----------------------8<---------------------------------
// Path to Cache folder:
user_pref("browser.cache.disk.parent_directory","C:\\Temp\\Firefox");

----------------------8<---------------------------------

I don't have a way to undo it easy, so back your profile first...
I move it out of there generally and move the profile into "%user%\Archives\Firefox\"
for backup purposes, and I don't need to pick up the temp files in that process...

That's how I found it out - one of my laptops is a throw-away OS for testing, and I noticed its FF was being buggy.... It was never set up for backup... Moved the temp out of that profile, and it straightened right out. Dunno why. 

*Note* the .js will disappear from the FF profile once it's instruction has been fed into the db. so keep a copy around if you intend to adopt it...
And you'll have to delete the profile temp cache once the other temp is active... First start of FF will make the DIRs...

[BassWrangler]

@240B

I confirmed that you can disable Cortana speech input in the latest update to Windows 10. I clicked the buttons in the first screenshot below, and although I can still access Cortana by launching the UI and typing a search, it is not able to access the microphone and process my speech.

There doesn't appear to be "I'm paranoid that Microsoft is in cohoots with the government - turn off everything" button, but there's a list of all privacy related functions, and how to disable each of them and clear any existing data here:

https://privacy.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-10-cortana-and-privacy

Also note, there's an option to disable all access to the microphone on the device - from any app, not just Cortana. See the second screenshot.

[BassWrangler]

@roamer_1 Just downloaded and ran the ShutUp App. The result was unbelievable. Not only did it turn off Cortana, which I thought was impossible, but now my computer runs faster and starts up faster. There are far fewer processes running in the task manager, and much less ethernet traffic during startup. It had a very positive effect.

I don't know how to thank you Mr. Roamer, that app really did perform beyond expectations.

You do realize that the cortana process does a lot more than just voice interaction, right? By disabling it this way, you will have completely broken the Windows 10 search feature.

[240B]

You do realize that the cortana process does a lot more than just voice interaction, right? By disabling it this way, you will have completely broken the Windows 10 search feature.

I can live with that. Hey, @BassWrangler check this out. I was thinking of you when I saw it.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aW5TvT1mo9k

[roamer_1]

You do realize that the cortana process does a lot more than just voice interaction, right? By disabling it this way, you will have completely broken the Windows 10 search feature.

EXCELLENT. Though in fact, untrue. The search feature works just fine on the local machine. If I need to search further than that, well that's what a browser is for.

[240B]

EXCELLENT. Though in fact, untrue. The search feature works just fine on the local machine. If I need to search further than that, well that's what a browser is for.

Yep. My search function works just fine. I was going to go into all that, but got distracted by Billy Bass.

[BassWrangler]

EXCELLENT. Though in fact, untrue. The search feature works just fine on the local machine. If I need to search further than that, well that's what a browser is for.

No, it's true. Try using the search bar in the Taskbar or clicking the circle shaped search /cortana button in the Taskbar. The Cortana UI process is what operates those. Your probably taking about search from explorer window, which is just a simple file search.

[BassWrangler]

I can live with that. Hey, @BassWrangler check this out. I was thinking of you when I saw it.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aW5TvT1mo9k

LOL, that's great. I need one of those.

[roamer_1]

No, it's true. Try using the search bar in the Taskbar or clicking the circle shaped search /cortana button in the Taskbar. The Cortana UI process is what operates those. Your probably taking about search from explorer window, which is just a simple file search.

@BassWrangler

the cortana button is gone, which is fine. Poke Start, start typing... Search results occur. Does all I need it to do. Like I said, local search works fine.

[BassWrangler]

@BassWrangler

the cortana button is gone, which is fine. Poke Start, start typing... Search results occur. Does all I need it to do. Like I said, local search works fine.

Ok, good. Does it still search things like content of emails (locally in your cache) and document contents?

[roamer_1]

Ok, good. Does it still search things like content of emails (locally in your cache) and document contents?

Dunno, don't care.  Any email search is done with my email client anyway, and I use search/change tools with regular expression capabilities for searching inside of text files...

But judging from results from file searches (which is about all I use Windows Search feature for), it is searching content, as I get weird returns based upon the word I might use... the file is always at the top, so I really don't care why it is returning the other flostam. 
 

[DB]

Dunno, don't care.  Any email search is done with my email client anyway, and I use search/change tools with regular expression capabilities for searching inside of text files...

But judging from results from file searches (which is about all I use Windows Search feature for), it is searching content, as I get weird returns based upon the word I might use... the file is always at the top, so I really don't care why it is returning the other flostam. 

Who wants all their searches of content on their own computer logged on Microsoft servers... Hell no (I'm agreeing with you).

[roamer_1]

Who wants all their searches of content on their own computer logged on Microsoft servers... Hell no (I'm agreeing with you).

@DB
That's right... I don't need all the whizbang at the cost of my privacy. Even if it is benign (which I don't believe it is), what it is establishing will be horrific in it's end. Predictably.

The thing that kills me is folks willing to live 24/7 with an open mike, and perhaps soon, an open cam... That, to me, is insanity... All for the ability to speak to a computer.   

[DB]

@DB
That's right... I don't need all the whizbang at the cost of my privacy. Even if it is benign (which I don't believe it is), what it is establishing will be horrific in it's end. Predictably.

The thing that kills me is folks willing to live 24/7 with an open mike, and perhaps soon, an open cam... That, to me, is insanity... All for the ability to speak to a computer.

Obviously I agree. I would consider voice command processing IF the voice processing is on equipment in my home that I have total control of behind a firewall. Then the only things that go out on the Internet are the things I tell it to do.

[roamer_1]

Obviously I agree. I would consider voice command processing IF the voice processing is on equipment in my home that I have total control of behind a firewall. Then the only things that go out on the Internet are the things I tell it to do.

I don't need voice anywhere in my home. Or my business.

The single caveat in that is my new smart phone - the thing is nearly useless to me without voice. So far, I am content to push the mike button and speak (texting as an instance)... But I really do see  the allure of being able to tell the thing to call someone, or play something, or find directions, etc while driving.

Thankfully, I am blessed by my redneck dialect - It is truly humorous to watch the dang phone try to figure out what I said. So likely, it ain't gonna be able to do me much good anyhow. 

[InHeavenThereIsNoBeer]

@DB
That's right... I don't need all the whizbang at the cost of my privacy. Even if it is benign (which I don't believe it is), what it is establishing will be horrific in it's end. Predictably.

The thing that kills me is folks willing to live 24/7 with an open mike, and perhaps soon, an open cam... That, to me, is insanity... All for the ability to speak to a computer.

One day, everyone will look back and wonder just how stupid people were to trust this garbage.

If it can be abused, it will be abused.

[roamer_1]

One day, everyone will look back and wonder just how stupid people were to trust this garbage.

If it can be abused, it will be abused.

That's right.

[BassWrangler]

I'm already marveling at the stupidity :)

[roamer_1]

I'm already marveling at the stupidity :)

Ahh... So now it's stupid to disable a function that I won't ever use, am suspicious of, and return noticeable performance to the machine?

What is stupid is that it doesn't have an off button in the first place.

[catfish1957]

Ahh... So now it's stupid to disable a function that I won't ever use, am suspicious of, and return noticeable performance to the machine?

What is stupid is that it doesn't have an off button in the first place.

Yeah, but its got a mofo plug though.......   

[Suppressed]

Ahh... So now it's stupid to disable a function that I won't ever use, am suspicious of, and return noticeable performance to the machine?

What is stupid is that it doesn't have an off button in the first place.

@roamer_1

I never in a million years thought I'd have use for one.  But I got my blind father a Google Home device on the day they were released, and it's been so wonderful for him.  He can listen to radio stations around the world, or any YouTube video, or old radio plays, or ... best of all, his baseball games!  He got a second one so he doesn't have to move it from the living room to the bedroom, and he recently discovered (somehow!) that he can have the device act as an intercom so he doesn't have to yell for my mom if he needs her help!  It's been such a wonderful thing for him.

Since I have Amazon prime, I got one of their devices, to see whether that would be better for him.  And I'm hooked.   I'm accepting of the claim that the device does entirely local processing until it hears the wake word, figuring that even it's not true, I'm not worried too much since I live alone.

My IQ has been falling for years, but I don't think I'm stupid yet.

[Cyber Liberty]

Ahh... So now it's stupid to disable a function that I won't ever use, am suspicious of, and return noticeable performance to the machine?

What is stupid is that it doesn't have an off button in the first place.

Doood!  I really don't think he was calling you stoopit.

[roamer_1]

I never in a million years thought I'd have use for one.  But I got my blind father a Google Home device on the day they were released, and it's been so wonderful for him.  He can listen to radio stations around the world, or any YouTube video, or old radio plays, or ... best of all, his baseball games!  He got a second one so he doesn't have to move it from the living room to the bedroom, and he recently discovered (somehow!) that he can have the device act as an intercom so he doesn't have to yell for my mom if he needs her help!  It's been such a wonderful thing for him.

Hi @Suppressed
Different story - Your father's disability is a grand justification - If I were still in a wheelchair, hurting as I was, I would more likely justify it too.

Since I have Amazon prime, I got one of their devices, to see whether that would be better for him.  And I'm hooked.   I'm accepting of the claim that the device does entirely local processing until it hears the wake word, figuring that even it's not true, I'm not worried too much since I live alone.

My IQ has been falling for years, but I don't think I'm stupid yet.

Again, different story - My comment was specific  - I don't trust it, I don't use it... Why is it then stupid to disable it and regain noticeable performance from my machine?

But to your comment more broadly - Whether a local process until it hears it's name or not, it is IN FACT an open mike in your home. To suggest that won't be exploited is simply naive. Sooner or later, AdSense companies will insist the mike is just left on for their purposes in 'better tailoring goods and services for your 'benefit' '.... Sooner or later, we will find authorities able to turn it on and use it for 'law enforcement purposes'... And etcetera.

It is neither wild-eyed, nor particularly prescient to see how this tech, combined with AI, which is improving at an exponential rate, will be used to monitor your every waking moment, both mike and cam, not only for your 'benefit and protection', but against your freedom and privacy.

One need only imagine Soviet era governments with this tech in their possession to plumb those depths, and understand that yes, it can happen here.

[roamer_1]

Doood!  I really don't think he was calling you stoopit.

 

[Suppressed]

Ahh... So now it's stupid to disable a function that I won't ever use, am suspicious of, and return noticeable performance to the machine?

What is stupid is that it doesn't have an off button in the first place.

@roamer_1
Maybe I'm getting confused and you might mean Cortana.  But the Amazon and Google products ostensibly have mic-mute buttons.

[Suppressed]

It is neither wild-eyed, nor particularly prescient to see how this tech, combined with AI, which is improving at an exponential rate, will be used to monitor your every waking moment, both mike and cam, not only for your 'benefit and protection', but against your freedom and privacy.

I can agree there.

and I think that's part of where I'm getting worn down.  With AI and quantum computing, I think the weakest link will be the human element on the corporate/government side.  Otherwise, we don't stand a chance.

And fighting to keep privacy is getting SO tiring.

I also am about to give in to the ancestral DNA thing, too.  I still don't have Facebook nor put my name out there for many things, but the benefits seem to outweigh the costs as I get older and figure it won't matter for long anyway!

[Cyber Liberty]

@roamer_1
Maybe I'm getting confused and you might mean Cortana.  But the Amazon and Google products ostensibly have mic-mute buttons.

I'm confused too.  I did notice that MS removed the switch to turn Cortana off, and that's really suspicious behavior on their part.. 

[roamer_1]

@roamer_1
Maybe I'm getting confused and you might mean Cortana.  But the Amazon and Google products ostensibly have mic-mute buttons.

@Suppressed

Yes, the conversation was about Cortana but more in line with the OP, I turned Google Assistant on in my droid last night to experiment...

 As I suspected, my redneck dialect makes it nearly impossible for it to understand me. So in my case, it is basically unusable - More PIA than it is worth for doing anything, as I have to tell it four different ways before I get a reasonable result.

But my phone, which normally would use a mere few percentage points overnight, dropped to 80% while resting... And with little use so far today, is under 50% charge. Normally, I wouldn't be below 50% till way late in the afternoon or evening.

To make matters worse, there is no easy way to turn the bloody thing off - While it now SAYS it is off, the discharge remains... Something is running now in the background that wasn't running before. 

[Suppressed]

To make matters worse, there is no easy way to turn the bloody thing off - While it now SAYS it is off, the discharge remains... Something is running now in the background that wasn't running before. 

Of course!

I really hate that, too.

[Cyber Liberty]

I've had battery discharge issues in the past (on my S4), so i looked at the Battery in the Android settings, and I found a process I didn't recognize.  On my laptop I did a Google on the name of the rogue process and found out it was a Firefox process.  Removed FF and it fixed it.

[roamer_1]

And fighting to keep privacy is getting SO tiring.

Not if you just unplug and go back to normal living...
With the exception of this forum, email and text (and texting is a new thing for me), I have no more internet presence... And that is saying something for a guy that runs seven desktops and laptops and two droids all day long.

But then I am discovering that I like the old ways better - My peace of mind increases going back to the old ways. Privacy is ensured, and it is hardly tiring. I am better made for dirt on my hands from the garden, crap on my boots from the barn... and sweet tea on the porch with my kid(s)...

[roamer_1]

I've had battery discharge issues in the past (on my S4), so i looked at the Battery in the Android settings, and I found a process I didn't recognize.  On my laptop I did a Google on the name of the rogue process and found out it was a Firefox process.  Removed FF and it fixed it.

OK, but all that changed between yesterday and today was that I enabled Google Assistant. There is only one reasonable conclusion.

[Cyber Liberty]

In settings, the "Battery" setting shows the apps that have been using up the charge since the last 100% recharge.  It will sick out like a sore thumb.

[roamer_1]

In settings, the "Battery" setting shows the apps that have been using up the charge since the last 100% recharge.  It will sick out like a sore thumb.

Screen 12% (!)
Android System 4%
Phone 4%
AndroidOS 3%
Google 2%

Everything else is under 1%... And that is way crazy screen, especially since the dang thing has been resting for 12 hrs. System and OS are way up, and Google didn't even register before.

Some of that may be updates, which are happening now... but those are unusual numbers.

[BassWrangler]

Ahh... So now it's stupid to disable a function that I won't ever use, am suspicious of, and return noticeable performance to the machine?

What is stupid is that it doesn't have an off button in the first place.

No, actually what's stupid is walking around with a cell phone but being paranoid about these home assistants.

[BassWrangler]

OK, but all that changed between yesterday and today was that I enabled Google Assistant. There is only one reasonable conclusion.

Is it set to respond to "Hey Google" without you pressing a button or waking the phone up? If so, that might be an explanation for the battery drain. Some devices have special hardware specifically to be able to do that without keeping the (power-hungry) main processor awake.

[Cyber Liberty]

Is it set to respond to "Hey Google" without you pressing a button or waking the phone up? If so, that might be an explanation for the battery drain. Some devices have special hardware specifically to be able to do that without keeping the (power-hungry) main processor awake.

I think he said it's an S4...

[roamer_1]

No, actually what's stupid is walking around with a cell phone but being paranoid about these home assistants.

Yeah - I have already said the cell phone is a new thing for me, that I don't like very much either. I blow through three phones a day sitting at my bench - The last thing I want is to have another phone on me once I finally get shook loose.

[roamer_1]

Is it set to respond to "Hey Google" without you pressing a button or waking the phone up? If so, that might be an explanation for the battery drain. Some devices have special hardware specifically to be able to do that without keeping the (power-hungry) main processor awake.

Yeah, it's gone now. Had to log into google and turn it off there. I charged last sometime around 10 AM and I still have 75%, which is what I am used to.

[DB]

No, actually what's stupid is walking around with a cell phone but being paranoid about these home assistants.

So you think a cell phone is the same thing as a microphone connected to the Internet?