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Letter: Phones would be safer if 'off' meant 'off'

Published 4 January 2017

From Toby Pereira, Rayne, Essex, UK

That apps, even when “off”, can spy on you through your phone's microphone without your knowledge, (5 November 2016 p 22) is disturbing. The simplest and most obvious protection would be for phone manufacturers to include physical on/off switches for microphones and cameras. That way users can ensure these input devices are only on when you explicitly want them to be. Similarly, a physical on/off switch for the whole phone would be much safer and more reliable.

Issue no. 3107 published 7 January 2017

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