As the BBC explains, the kettles had secretly embedded within them a “little microphone”, and chips which allowed the rogue household goods to connect to computers using unprotected WiFi networks within a 200m radius, and send data back to remote servers.
Other goods which are said to have been bugged include mobile phones and the cameras that Russian drivers seem to love sticking on their car dashboards.
It all seems to me like a very bizarre story – but is it true? I have no idea. For now, I think it would be safest to say that the jury is out.
It’s always possible that something has been “lost in translation”, assumptions made and the truth will only be known if independent technology experts get the chance to examine the offending kettles and determine what they can really do.
But, if it *is* true, you might want to switch to a glass of sparkling water rather than a hot cup of tea in future.
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I would find it somewhat believable that such devices have been or are being implanted in regular home electronics (not tea kettles), and, though it probably hasn't occurred yet, I find it inconceivable that this sort of thing will not be occurring in the future, as microcircuitry makes surreptitiousness easier and easier. I find it inconceivable that the Chinese have not already created some kind of "Manchurian Candidate" electronic devices to incorporate into products that they make for their overseas market (i.e., us and others). Our dependence on them for electronics makes about as much sense as if we had purchased all of our military gear from Germany prior to and during WWII. Können Sie Deutsch sprechen?
As far as something such as a tea kettle, though, I don't find the story credible because of the temperatures and conditions to which the kettle would be exposed.
If there is any truth in this report, then perhaps we
should also be concerned with items such as the Chinese Wi-Fi
webcams that are being sold, and these also have microphones in
them. Could it be possible for the Chinese government or other
interested party to use the proliferation of these cheap cameras
with microphones to spy on the UK population? We are even giving
these devices a guaranteed connection to the Internet! Or is this
just paranoia? Steve