Exploit can turn Google Glass into secret surveillance device, even Michael Chertoff isnt a fanMadison Ruppert Its quite odd to see the likes of Michael Chertoff the man who made tons of money off of the TSAs naked body scanners coming out against the technology as he did in a recent opinion piece, especially based on privacy concerns. The already quite noteworthy privacy concerns surrounding Google Glass were increased exponentially today with an Ars Technica report stating, A smartphone hacker has provided conclusive proof that the futuristic computing headset known as Google Glass can be surreptitiously modified to give anyone with physical access almost complete control over the device. Given than five minutes with a device, security consultant Jay saurik Freeman said that he can pick up your Glass, turn on debug mode, and get root access on it in a way that doesnt leave a trace. Then I can modify any of the software on your device, Freeman told Ars Technica in a telephone interview. I can make it so that for the rest of your Glass lifetime Im in there, too, able to get access to your camera, listen in on your microphone. I can turn off debug mode and make it look like theres nothing changed from your perspective. And when you get it back, youre screwed. A bugged Glass doesnt just watch your every move: it watches everything you are looking at (intentionally or furtively) and hears everything you do. The only thing it doesnt know are your thoughts, Freeman wrote in a blog post. Since Glass sees everything you do, it would see you entering passwords, PIN codes, building access codes and even pictures of keys detailed enough to allow copies to be made. Nothing is safe once your Glass has been hacked, Freeman said. We recognize the importance of building device-specific protections, and were experimenting with solutions as we work to make Glass more broadly available, Google said in a statement. Its also important to understand that Glass doesnt access many parts of a Google Account, including settings or many products. And your personal MyGlass site allows you to change the content that you see on Glass or, if you misplace it, wipe all the data off your device. This obviously falls far short of what one might consider reassuring. Its amazing to see important questions like, So, who owns and what happens to the users data? Can the entire database be mined and analyzed for commercial purposes? being raised by the likes of Chertoff and obviously one must treat it with a healthy degree of skepticism, but they are vital questions nonetheless. What rules will apply when law enforcement seeks access to the data for a criminal or national security investigation? For how long will the data be retained? Chertoff asks. Service providers like Google could argue that the terms of service customers agree to will limit how their data is collected, used and stored, Chertoff points out, but that doesnt cover data that is collected about passersbys whom they record, intentionally or not. Even those who might be willing to forgo some degree of privacy to enhance national security should be concerned about a corporate America that will have an unrestricted continuous video record of millions, Chertoff writes. Again, reading this coming from Chertoff is so unbelievable it almost seems like an April Fools joke that was published a month late. One might argue that while there are many important points raised by Chertoff, he also draws a conclusion that doesnt quite follow. The new data collection platforms right in front of us are much more likely to affect our lives than is the prospect of drones overhead surveilling American citizens, Chertoff concludes. This may or may not be true and certainly cant be concluded with any degree of certainty, let alone the level of certainty that is communicated in saying much more likely. Therefore, Chertoffs criticisms very well may be self serving. Indeed, knowing Chertoff, its hard to imagine that he would do anything that wasnt going to directly benefit him in one way or another. Its certainly true that Chertoff is not a privacy champion or someone who would consider what rights consumers have, and what rights nonparticipant third parties should have simply because he cares. Regardless, the issues raised by Chertoff must be noted and given the most recent example of how technology like Google Glass can be easily exploited, implementing privacy measures are going to be vitally important. Id love to hear your opinion, take a look at your story tips and even your original writing if you would like to get it published. Please email me at Admin@EndtheLie.com Please support our work and help us start to pay contributors by doing your shopping through our Amazon link or check out some must-have products at our store. This article first appeared at End the Lie. Madison Ruppert is the Editor and Owner-Operator of the alternative news and analysis databaseEnd The Lie and has no affiliation with any NGO, political party, economic school, or other organization/cause. He is available for podcast and radio interviews. Madison also now has his own radio show on UCYTV Monday nights 7 PM 9 PM PT/10 PM 12 AM ET. Show page link here: http://UCY.TV/EndtheLie. If you have questions, comments, or corrections feel free to contact him at admin@EndtheLie.com linkwithin_text=Related Articles: 