Apple Patent Allows Government to Disable Your iPhone [Video]

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Posted October 9, 2012 at 10:39pm by Shalom Levytam

A patent granted to Apple in late-August, if implemented, would allow governments to disable your iPhone when they deem appropriate, reports BusinessInsider.

U.S. Patent No. 8,254,902, titled "Apparatus and methods for enforcement of policies upon a wireless device," enables phone policies to be set to change "one or more functional or operational aspects of a wireless device ... upon the occurrence of a certain event."

Take a look at the video below in which Tim Pool explains that this patent isn't to just disable your camera but to 'wirelessly control your device.' Quoting the patent he notes that "covert police or government operations may require complete blackout conditions."

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Comments (39)

Comments are closed for this article.

Leggoman - October 10, 2012 at 11:52pm

Do you believe that? the USA are may be one country this does go on for sure, Think FBI, CIA, as other post said supper computer looking for words in email and calls that may say bomb. We are listened to watched more than we know. So many CCTV, ATM, police cars reading your number plat, shop CCTV, that's just a few, the thing is just think of your phone as a bug? I'm sure it can be controlled remotely to listen in and or record video with out you knowing? Nothing is private any more, well I don't think so. Oh droid plans look at what they can do? Big daddy is watching you all the time lol

Leggoman - October 10, 2012 at 11:36pm

@wait cameras are not disabled? But can be if government or police want to. To stop you from taking photos or video of them. ie if they was doing some thing wrong. Or don't want you reporting by photo or video.

Walt - October 10, 2012 at 3:47pm

Why are the videos disabled

Mike - October 10, 2012 at 4:34pm

Not in the USA I,m sure sounds like that would violate our rights in this Country.

Anonymous - October 10, 2012 at 5:13am

I can't believe nobody saw this coming.

Waimarie - October 20, 2012 at 12:11pm

to Nice, my iphone 4 stuck on sinpning wheel i had to hook iphone to computer open itunes and reset my iphone to factory settings be sure to save your data it takes a long time but i was glad to get my phone you will haft to rejailbreak.

odedoo1 - October 10, 2012 at 4:04am

like u said the only freedom is your brain.

odedoo1 - October 10, 2012 at 4:02am

leggoman you almost got it right but after 9/11 president Boosh if that's the right spelling pasted a law that which I forgot it name which allows the government to listen to any call without a warrant from curt and infect they got super computers listening to all calls and recording them searching for key words if any of the key word was spoken the super computer red flags the call and then humans listen to the recordings, no warrants needed.

unknown - October 10, 2012 at 5:22am

Patriot act

Leggoman - October 10, 2012 at 3:24am

Other laws give power to do most things we would like to think is illegal. Do you not think a government could shout down a news paper, a device and or provider, a computer network, sorry but we are allowed to have toys but only if we are good. It's so easy for any service to be shout down. We do not live in a free world and have not done so for a very long time. We never will. The only real freedom we have is to think what we like, that's it every thing else is controlled in one way or another

Leggoman - October 10, 2012 at 3:11am

Omg how green do you have to be? Do you really think cos you buy a phone it's yours to do as you like? Your a dreamer. Not so long ago if you had a scanner you could listen to phone calls. Then we went digital that stopped that. But not if you have a government license you can buy digital scanner enter a persons phone number and listen to call made from that phone and phones that call that phone. And as for its illegal to do thats bull police go to court get a warrant and its now legal. And others do it without a warrant. Do you not read the new on phone hacking. Emails scanned

Copperhead - October 10, 2012 at 2:19am

Hahahaa

Anti-nwo - October 10, 2012 at 1:46am

Sad,..next time there will be a riot or protest, cops will be able to turn off your camera app. So that you won't be able to protect yourself with video evidence if your rights are being violated.

Copperhead - October 10, 2012 at 2:12am

I was thinking the same damn thing... And the thing is, that its really freaking scary every time someone says this same thing. So people better start carrying HTC Galaxy too.

odedoo1 - October 10, 2012 at 1:23am

I'll add one more thing if you think that the gps in your iPhones is meant for you then you don't know how far from the truth you are!

odedoo1 - October 10, 2012 at 1:19am

this is nothing new guys, after 9/11 the home I loved so much is not the same and yes the iPhone is the best example of it, why do you think that it's the only phone that you can't take out the battery, they already used it before 2 times that I know of there was 5 big shuts criminals at a table one had an iPhone even that they all turned the phones off the Feds still could listen and watch everything with the microphone and camera of the iPhone and bust them right after the meeting, and I think the guy that said its started with the 3Gs is wrong I'm pretty sure it happened with the 3G now you can say they deserved it but I can't talk about the second time I know they used it and it wasn't against the criminals and if I know of 2 I'm sure there where many more and yes when we jailbreak there is an app to shut it down. I'll tell you one thing when I started traveling the glob I fount out what a lie we lived with when they told us the lend of the free, the from Paris knows freedom just like we knew freedom in America pre 9/11, for 10 years now I live in a country that once you get here you can taste and feel the freedom in the air and if they'll take it away I'll move again, I got examples of apple using that tech for their own good and it was all over the news here but when I talked to friend from the states they knew nothing about it meaning Apple=government, I do miss LA and every time I can't wait to visit but when I come back home to LA it's like I can't wait to leave again, I hate what they did to our home. I remember when we heard that in England they installed CCTV all over the country and we said no way it can happened here in LA well it sure is happening, it happened so fast that people had no idea that the privacy law was taken away from them till it was to late.

JamesHoyland23 - October 10, 2012 at 12:34am

I would say its a load of bollox that the shitty government can dissable the video on IOS devices they haven't got the right to do that at all.

Woz - October 10, 2012 at 12:32am

Hey this is Apple we are talking about. Apple would never let the government abuse this technology. A matter of fact I bet you this is something Apple is going to use to take over the world.

Copperhead - October 10, 2012 at 2:17am

Can someone say Terminator...lol

Bob McG - October 10, 2012 at 5:16am

iTerminator

Angel_92701 - October 10, 2012 at 12:25am

It's easy to fix. If you're on a place were you can take video or will be restricted by the video like above. Use the airplane mode take the video. And upload it. No one can control or acces to your device. If data connection is needed

[o.0] - October 9, 2012 at 11:59pm

This is old technology, it has been used for a few years now, since the iPhone 3Gs that I know of. I am not allowed to say more than it is true and not they want to make it legal. since they have been using it before with out the public knowing. Im thinking this information got out and now they want to make it legit. But it works and has been used for quite some time know. Big brother is always watching!!! I hope he is not watching now since I'm writing this from the shitter! ð ð©ð½ðð

no_ma'am - October 9, 2012 at 11:18pm

It's Obama's way. He would want nothing less. A government powerful enough to give everything is a government powerful enough to take it all away. Meanwhile americans are asleep at the wheel letting a Socialist Obama take over.

Copperhead - October 10, 2012 at 2:21am

And the reason why I live in Paris....lol

Eric - October 9, 2012 at 11:17pm

Honestly, how do you read government involvement anywhere in that patent excerpt? I mean, honestly, a Microsoft Exchange admin can imposed policies on iPhones via ActiveSync that can wipe a device clean just by issuing a remote command. This capability is nothing new. Perhaps Apple has found a hole in patent vebiage that they feel compelled to act upon and seize the moment on.

Copperhead - October 10, 2012 at 2:25am

In order to do that the person owning the device must render their IMEI number from their device. And they better have a damn good reason because a company can get sued really hard.

no_ma'am - October 9, 2012 at 11:13pm

No, the government does not abuse or use anything to violate rights. I Kid I kid.

Jayzee - October 9, 2012 at 11:07pm

You think you are screwed? Try living in Venezuela with Hugo Chavez

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