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  • The Latest WikiLeaks
Technology Articles > Software > Security & Privacy > The Latest WikiLeaks

Yesterday, WikiLeaks dumped a massive amount of files on the Internet. Those files claim that the US Government (USG) has been using various devices to spy on certain people. The nature of this spying has a lot of tech companies (including Apple and Samsung) writing statements to its public today.

In case you missed yesterday’s headlines, here’s what happened. This story is ongoing.

Spy Tools

The documents that were made public report that the USG is using devices like Smart TVs, smartphones, laptops, and other connected devices to spy on people. Popular whistleblower Edward Snowden added in his own comments on Twitter yesterday stating that the software named in the WikiLeaks documents is legitimate because only those working closely with this software know the names of the tools used.

Apple and Samsung were two of the biggest companies named in the files. It has been claimed that the USG has found ways to use smartphone cameras and microphones to listen in on conversations - the same goes for laptop cameras and smart TV systems. The documents leaked also claim that these companies knew about the software holes but did nothing to stop hacks from happening.

Apple Writes Back

Apple has told press that the company has long since fixed any hacker holes in its software that the WikiLeaks documents pertain to. However, many argue that this cannot be the case, since the documents relate to the latest versions of Apple iPhone (and other) software and, as such, the holes have not been fixed.

What You Should Know

So does this mean that the USG is listening in on your conversations through your smartphone, connected home, smart tv or other device? Should you put tape over your laptop camera and stop using a smartphone? Can you really trust your smart tv? The papers are out there for anyone to read, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that the WikiLeaks papers hold a lot of truth.

On the flip side, companies like Apple will certainly claim that their products do not allow for any spying at all. But can you believe those companies? Can you believe either side of this tricky coin? There more to this story.

Linux Also Named

The popular anti-popular operating system, Linux, was also mentioned in the report. According to report documents, the CIA had created ‘attack and control’ systems that could attack and control Linux OS (thus allowing CIA officials to view any activity happening when a user was using a Linux system).

The CIA has not yet commented on the leaked paper, but one former CIA director has noted that if the documents are, in fact, true, they have leaked some key ways that the CIA operates in order to keep the American people safe.

If the leaks are true, they have given terrorists and other people that might be considered a threat to public safety in the US a way to track CIA operations. The papers were extremely detailed. For obvious reasons, the documents leaked yesterday have a lot of people worried for various reasons.