Apple recently released a fix for the major iPhone Facetime bug that allowed others to eavesdrop on conversations—even if they never answered the call.
How Was the Bug Discovered?
The bug went viral about a week ago and was all over the news channels and social media. A 14-year-old boy, Grant Thompson, discovered the flaw while he was facetiming with a group of his friends.
Privacy Concerns for Law Enforcement
From a law enforcement perspective, this raises privacy and security concerns, because this glitch could have put many lives at risk. Can you imagine if a criminal or hacker used this feature to gain high-level remote access to the conversations of a police officer or staff member? And then used that information to get access to the Officer, their family members, or co-workers. It’s frightening reality and a wake up call for all of us.
Cyber-Criminals Spying on Devices
It is a scary thought to think of cyber-criminals spying on devices that belong to police officers or federal agents, capturing the audio and video of the Officer before they answer the phone. They could even capture the location of the Officer without their knowledge or even if they never answer the phone. If you haven’t already done so, the best thing to do is to quickly update your iPhone to avoid any future safety issues.
How to Update Your iPhone:
1) Open the settings on your iPhone
2) Tap General
3) Choose Software Update
4) Let your iPhone download and install the new software
Thank goodness the bug was caught, reported, and fixed! We wouldn’t want anyone listening in on our private conversations or putting our law enforcement officer’s safety at risk.