Google and Microsoft have agreed to include kill switches in all new Android and Windows phones at the behest of New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, a measure aimed at combating theft but one which will also raise alarm bells for privacy-oriented libertarians.
“Google, based in Mountain View, California, said in a statement today it will add a “factory reset protection solution” to its next version of Android,” reports Bloomberg. “Microsoft’s Vice President for U.S. Government Affairs Fred Humphries said the Redmond, Washington-based company will offer new theft-deterrence mechanisms in an update for phones running its software, including those made by Nokia Oyj.”
New Apple iPhones have had the kill switch installed since September last year, a factor NY Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has hailed as instrumental in lowering thefts.
However, the new measure is sure to cause consternation amongst libertarians and political activists given previous examples of governments using the power of the kill switch to stifle dissent, such as Turkey’s recent blackout of Twitter.
Although the ‘kill switch’ would ostensibly be included to discourage theft, a scenario where authorities could hijack the technology to shut down communications in a sensitive area in order to limit photo and streaming video coverage, such as at a demonstration or at the scene of unfolding police brutality, is easy to envisage.
Earlier this year, we reported on a Google patent for a system that would alert law enforcement authorities if a number of photos were taken in one specific location by smartphone users, raising questions as to what level of remote access companies like Google should have to people’s personal devices.
Back in 2012, Apple also filed a patent allowing it to wirelessly disable cameras on iPhones by “forcing certain electronic devices to enter “sleep mode” when entering a sensitive area.”
Protests, political gatherings and other events at which authorities wish to prevent communication, documentation or video streaming could be turned into dead zones by creating a “geofence” around designated locations.
The patent was registered in anticipation of giving police or government the power to impose a “blackout” on all communications during certain times because cellphones can “annoy, frustrate, and even threaten people in sensitive venues.” Source
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Royal Charter – Royal Crown, Anglo-American US Naval Intelligence - MI5, corporations and bankers = BBC Radio. These same types of entities own technology to this day and have a “back door” into all technology.
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BBC Radio was founded by six private companies (Big Six) in 1923, the major driver being General Electric (USA) -a Rockefeller/JP Morgan’s company. The other major players were English/French subsidiaries – most of the original companies ended up in the big defense contracting industries, for example, Lockheed Martin UK Holdings Limited where Chris Patten is a non-Executive Director – Lockheed Martin/BAE merged w/ BAE. BAE was one of the original “Big Six” private companies via previous mergers).
Rockefeller’ Fiefdom –
“Rockefeller’s business’ are usually housed in one of his buildings at Rockefeller Plaza (British Intelligence was housed there in the 1920′s) – the International Building North. This subsequently became the primary location of the U.S. operations of British Intelligence, British Security Coordination (BSC) during the War, with Room 3603 becoming the principal operations center for Allied intelligence, organized by William Stephenson, as well as the office of the future head of what was later to become the Central Intelligence Agency, Allen Welsh Dulles.” -
“”the International Building North – This subsequently became the primary location of the U.S. operations of British Intelligence, British Security Coordination (BSC) during the War, with Room 3603 becoming the principal operations center for Allied intelligence, organized by William Stephenson, as well as the office of the future head of what was later to become the Central Intelligence Agency, Allen Welsh Dulles.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rockefeller_Center
http://mediachecker.wordpress.com/2013/09/09/bbc-rides-with-al-qaeda-in-aleppo-syria-bbc-propaganda/
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The Big Government(s) have always held the power to the “kill switch”.
