The following document is from the PRIVACY Forum Archive at Vortex Technology, Woodland Hills, California, U.S.A. For direct web access to the PRIVACY Forum and PRIVACY Forum Radio, including detailed information, archives, keyword searching, and related facilities, please visit the PRIVACY Forum via the web URL: http://www.vortex.com ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Note from the PRIVACY Forum Moderator: The following information has been provided to the PRIVACY Forum by the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse (PRC). In some cases, the items have been reformatted locally for online presentation. Index descriptions for FTP/listserv/gopher access have been chosen locally. Other than such formatting and index descriptions, all information below in this file is the responsibility of the PRC, and any questions regarding that information should be directed to the PRC at: Phone: 619-298-3396 (800-773-7748 Calif. only) Fax: 619-260-4753 E-mail: prc@teetot.acusd.edu ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Privacy Rights Clearinghouse Fact Sheet #2 Cordless and Cellular Phones: Is Everybody Listening? Be aware. It's easy for others to listen to calls you make on cordless or cellular phones ... and you may never know your conversations are being monitored. While cordless and cellular phones are very popular and have several advantages, privacy is not one of them. Can other people listen to my cordless & cellular phone conversations? In a word--yes. In most cases, your cordless or cellular phone conversations are probably overheard only briefly and accidentally. But there are people who make it a hobby to listen to cordless and cellular phone calls by using radio scanners. Since others may be listening to your conversations, be especially careful not to talk about financial information on a cordless or cellular phone. For example, if you buy something over the phone and give your credit card number and expiration date, your cordless or cellular call could be monitored and you might end up the victim of credit card fraud. Cordless telephones: Cordless phones operate like mini-radio stations. They send radio signals from the base unit to the handset and from the handset back to the base. Signals from cordless phones can be picked up by a number of other devices including radio scanners, baby monitors, radios and other cordless phones. The signal carrying your conversation can usually be transmitted and overheard up to one-fourth mile away, and it is sometimes possible for conversations to travel up to two miles away. Cordless phones with 10 channels and which automatically switch between channels are not as likely to send signals to the neighbor's cordless phone as one- or two-channel models. However, by using a radio scanner, someone determined to eavesdrop on cordless phone calls can do so whether you use a two-channel or a 10-channel model. Improvements in cordless phone privacy features are anticipated in the near future. Cellular telephones: Cellular phones send radio signals to low- power transmitters located within "cells" of five to twelve miles in radius. Because the signal carrying your conversation travels so far, it is easy to randomly intercept cellular phone conversations using advanced radio scanners. However, it is difficult to locate and follow specific conversations since as your automobile travels from cell to cell, the signal carrying your voice is transferred to the nearest transmitter. Also, cellular phone conversations usually are not picked up by electronic devices such as radios and baby monitors, although they may be received by televisions and radio scanners. Is it legal to listen to other people's cordless or cellular phone calls? Yes and no. There is no law preventing others from listening to your cordless or cellular phone conversations as long as it is not done with malicious intent. So, if your neighbor accidentally hears your conversation on a radio scanner, it's not illegal. In addition, unless the eavesdropper says something about what he or she has overheard, you have no way of knowing your conversation has been monitored. However, in California it is illegal to intentionally record or maliciously intercept phone conversations without the consent of all parties to the communication, including cordless and cellular calls. Who can legally monitor my phone calls? Law enforcement officials with the proper court authorization may listen to and record phone calls without your knowledge. Also, if someone is threatening another person with extortion, kidnaping, bribery or any other felony involving violence, the calls may be recorded by the person being threatened. And, under special limited circumstances, phone company employees may monitor calls. What is the best way to prevent my calls from being overheard? Currently there is no inexpensive way to ensure privacy on either cordless or cellular phone calls. If you are discussing a private matter or you simply do not want others to listen to your call, it is best to switch to a standard "wire" telephone. Be sure both you and the person you are talking to are on standard phones. There are encrypted digital cordless and cellular phones now available which give a high level of protection against eavesdropping. However, these phones are expensive and require both parties to the call to have the special equipment. When shopping for a cordless or cellular phone, insist that the manufacturer or salesperson provide you with clear explanations of any privacy protection claimed for their product. Are there other gadgets which may be broadcasting my conversations? Yes. Baby monitors, children's walkie-talkies and some home intercom systems may be overheard in the same manner as cordless phones. For example, if you and a neighbor use baby monitors, your unit may broadcast to the neighbor's receiver as well as your own. Home intercom systems which operate by sending radio signals have the same problem. If you are concerned about being overheard on one of these devices, be sure to turn it off when it is not in use. You might want to consider purchasing a "wired" unit instead. Baby monitors and home intercom systems which use wires to transmit signals do not broadcast radio waves and are not overheard by other units. For more information For more information on this and other privacy-related issues, contact the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse hotline at 1-800-773- 7748. You may also obtain useful information by writing to the manufacturer of your cordless phone, cellular phone, baby monitor or intercom system. October 1992