How to Know if Your Phone is Bugged?

A bugged phone can be a challenging issue for many people. While technology has evolved significantly over the past 50 years, people bug telephones today for the same reasons they did in 1960. Phone bugs are used by the government to monitor criminals, spies, subversives and other undesirable elements in society. In addition, phone bugs are used by private individuals to monitor friends, families, lovers and business associates. The technology available to private individuals is limited when compared to government bugging tools. Most private individuals can only buy commercially available bugging products. This includes hidden microphones, spy programs for smart phones, long-range listening devices and more. There are several easy ways to make sure that a phone isn't being monitored by a non-government adversary. When placing a phone call at a home, it's important to make sure there is no listening device in the phone itself. The best way to check for a listening device is by disassembling the phone. A phone bug will usually be attached to a nine volt battery near the microphone of a phone. In addition, some listening devices attach directly to a telephone line. It can be more difficult to detect these types of devices. A listening device that is attached to a home's telephone line can can be located inside or outside a home. For example, it may be possible for an adversary to attach a listening device to a telephone line on a power pole. One of the best ways to protect oneself from snoopers is by using a cell phone. While cell phones have several significant weaknesses, they offer better call security than a traditional telephone. It's important to place private phone calls on a telephone that hasn't been in another person's possession. Many smart phones can be hacked to allow for bugging programs. These programs will automatically record all phone calls that are placed on a central line. Many Android and iOS programs are designed to snoop on phone calls. It's a good idea to use a feature phone when placing private phone calls. A feature phone is a cell phone that can not run programs. It's often possible to purchase a feature phone for less than $20 at a retail outlet. While these techniques can protect oneself from an individual snooper, it may not be possible to protect oneself from a government adversary. The government can monitor calls in ways that make it very difficult for people to know they are being bugged. In many cases, calls are being monitored from a central call routing station. The best way to guard against this type of bugging is through the use of encryption technology and face-to-face communication.