Digital devices are spying on microphone data: NordVPN

Digital devices are spying on microphone data: NordVPN

2023-05-28

How secure is data on your phone? Maybe you’ve wondered whether your phone is spying on you, after ads popped up that were suspiciously related to your recent conversations. A new report from a global VPN company has shown that our phones are indeed spying on us. Some apps use the microphone in the background to listen to users, and then base advertising on that data. We spoke to a data security expert for tips on how to improve the privacy settings on your devices.

Tang Shih-ching
FTV reporter
You just finish saying you want to visit Japan. Just a few minutes later, adverts for travel agencies start popping up on your phone or computer. Experts say that your phone might indeed be spying on you.

The cyber security firm NordVPN has shown that phones’ microphones are monitoring users’ conversations and supplying data from microphones to software platforms, which then show commercials based on those conversations.

Huang Yu-sheng
Telecoms store manager
You can go to your privacy setting, and turn off the rights for the camera, the browsing history, or even the microphone. That means it won’t let that app use that function. That could be an effective way to protect yourself against being bugged.

On Apple devices, you can turn off the microphone in settings. On Android, you can limit apps in the privacy settings tab, or turn on access to the mic. On a desktop computer, you can cover the camera with a piece of paper to prevent apps using it.

Cha Shih-chao
Data security expert
You should regularly check your computer for viruses, to prevent malicious software or hackers from installing malicious apps on your computer. Normal companies shouldn’t be listening to your data for no good reason. As much as possible, avoid risky brands - that’s another strategy, of course.

This data security expert says that it is technically difficult for most companies to tap your mic constantly. But if you want to be sure, it’s worth doing a check on your privacy settings and choosing the options that are most secure.

剛聊完手機就跳出廣告! 專家證實"麥克風竊聽"

2023-05-28

明明才剛跟朋友聊完天，結果過沒多久，手機或電腦，就跳出相關廣告訊息，相信有不少的人，都有這樣的經歷，現在就有國外專家證實，手機的麥克風，確實會接收你的對話內容，提供給平台投放廣告，但要怎麼防堵，一起來看。

[[民視記者唐詩晴]]
“才剛講完要去日本玩，結果過沒多久，你的手機或者是電腦就跳出各種旅行社的廣告嗎？有專家證實，你的手機很有可能被竊聽了。”

網路安全業者NordVPN證實，手機的麥克風，會接收用戶對話，提供給平台進行廣告投放。

[[通信行店長黃宥勝]]
“可以到隱私權，我們可以把相機或者是說瀏覽紀錄，或甚至說麥克風可以直接把它權限關閉，就代表說它的意思是，不讓這個程式使用這個功能，那的確可能就會有效的防範竊聽。”

蘋果用戶，到"設定"裡關閉麥克風，安卓系統，在隱私權裡，自行限制程式，開放麥克風權限。電腦的部分，蓋住視訊孔，也能防堵竊聽。

[[資安專家查士朝]]
“如果是電腦的話，平常要多掃毒，避免有惡意軟體或是駭客，他可以去在你電腦裡面裝惡意的程式。正常的公司應該是不會去隨便竊聽你的資料，盡可能避開一些比較有風險的廠牌，那這個當然也是一個方式。

專家也說，一般來說，普通公司，技術上難以做到時刻監聽，但若想保障自己的隱私權，還是得自行評估，怎麼做，最安全。

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China’s TAO attempts holding cross-strait media summit in bid to control Taiwan’s media

With the presidential election coming up next year, Beijing is making moves to influence public sentiment in Taiwan. China’s Taiwan Affairs Office had planned to hold a cross-strait media summit this month, inviting 30 media outlets in Taiwan to attend. However, the TAO was unable to generate any interest in the summit, and was forced to reschedule the event. Despite that, one pundit said that China was unlikely to abandon its resolve to interfere in the 2024 presidential election. Meanwhile, Premier Chen Chien-jen delivered a stern warning to Beijing, saying that Taiwan’s media are driven by professionalism and press freedom.

At a meeting of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference in March, head of the advisory body, Wang Huning, reiterated several times the goal of the “great rejuvenation of the Chinese people.”

Wang Huning (March 11)
CPPCC head
At the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party, a plan has been drawn up for the comprehensive development of a powerful, modern socialist nation. Through the advancement of Chinese-style modernization, a grand blueprint for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese people has been laid out, sounding the horn on the start of a new journey of the times.

Wang’s speech also mentioned unification with Taiwan, which is understood to be a central part of that goal. Now, two months later, Wang is taking aim at Taiwanese media, but has so far been failing in this effort.

China’s Taiwan Affairs Office had scheduled to hold its fifth cross-strait media summit from Wednesday to Saturday last week, and had originally planned to invite executives from 30 Taiwanese media companies to attend.

Wang was to attend the summit in person, and tasked organizers with facilitating a discussion on a Taiwanese version of the “one country, two systems” framework. Organizers were also told to sing the praises of the Chinese economy in a bid to attract Taiwanese investors. However, few signed up for the summit. The reason may be rooted in events that occurred four years earlier.

Wang Yang (May 12, 2019)
Then-CPPCC head
The Taiwanese authorities cannot even guarantee what will happen in two years. Now there are Taiwanese separatists betting on the Americans. Will the Americans fight against China over Taiwan? If they do fight, will they win?

Uninterested in indoctrination, and also focused on Taiwan’s upcoming election, Taiwanese media companies opted out of the Chinese summit. The TAO was forced to put off the event, and shift focus toward media marketing. It sought out smaller media companies , local radio stations and newer online news outlets to participate.

Chang Ming-yu
Pundit
During President Tsai Ing-wen’s first and second-term elections, and now ahead of next year’s presidential election, China has used the same approach throughout. It uses money and disinformation campaigns to interfere in Taiwan’s elections. China is not going to abandon its resolve to interfere in Taiwan’s elections.

Chen Chien-jen
Premier
Don’t engage in any malicious activity aimed at disturbing peace and stability in Taiwan. Taiwan’s media will insist on press freedom and professionalism. It won’t become a tool of China’s vicious acts of suppression, or of its united-front efforts.

China’s attempt at influencing Taiwanese media under the guise of democratic discussion has failed, but with elections coming up, it is more important than ever to remain vigilant.

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AI godfather Jensen Huang takes Computex by storm with more than 5,000 attendees registered

With a market value expected to reach US$80 trillion by 2030, AI has been sweeping the globe. Jensen Huang, CEO and founder of AI supplier Nvidia, is at the forefront of that wave. Over the weekend, Huang spoke at the commencement of National Taiwan University, where he encouraged graduates to seize the unprecedented opportunities that AI will present. Huang is also slated to speak at the opening keynote at Computex on Monday. Organizers say that over five thousand attendees have registered for the event.

This billboard displays the pictures of all the keynote speakers at Computex. The person on the far left is Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, whose net worth reached US$34 billion after his company’s shares skyrocketed by 24% last week. He is now a sensation. Computex organizer, the Taiwan External Trade Development Council, reopened registration over the weekend for Huang’s keynote. Now more than 5,000 people will have the chance to listen to the billionaire live.

Tang Shih-ching
FTV reporter
Computex will be held on the 30th at the Nangang Exhibition Center. In addition to ASUS, Hon Hai and nearly a thousand tech companies will be present. The man of the hour, Jensen Huang, who’s been dubbed the godfather of AI, will deliver a keynote speech at Exhibition Center 2 on the 29th. His talk will focus on the ever popular topic of AI and smart technology, and spots are already filled up.

Jensen Huang (May 27)
CEO, Nvidia
Within the next decade, our industry will replace over a trillion dollars of the world’s traditional computers with new accelerated AI computers.

A day earlier, Huang spoke at National Taiwan University’s commencement, telling the graduating students that they were at the beginning of a major technology era and encouraging them to seize the unprecedented opportunities that AI will present. Indeed, with the advent of Chat GPT and with the AI theme, prices of technology stocks such as Microsoft, Facebook parent company Meta, and Google have skyrocketed. How to survive in the face of the AI onslaught has become a major test for various industries.

Voice of Wu Chin-jung
Tech trends observer
Nvidia’s GPU A100 and H100 have been receiving a lot of orders, and the indirect beneficiary is TSMC.

Chai Huan-hsin
Semiconductor expert
Even by 2030, AI chips will only make up no more than 15% of the entire chip market. Despite the fact that everyone is optimistic about the AI industry and everyone is talking about AI, in the long run, the sector’s space for growth is quite limited.

With the market value expected to reach US$80 trillion by 2030, AI continues to affect the global economy. While experts hold varying views on the burgeoning industry, they agree that learning to coexist with AI is a must so as to avoid becoming obsolete.

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Danish football player founds nonprofit soccer club in Taiwan

Today we take you to meet Johnni Nielsen, the founder of a nonprofit football club in Taipei called the F.C. Vikings. He and his wife, Hope, founded the club in 2010 to make football more accessible. Over the 13 years, they have provided free football training for elementary school students all the way up to adults. FTV reporter Stephany Yang has the story.

Walking up the staircase, he lists the trophies and medals accumulated over 13 years. This is Johnni Nielsen, founder of the F.C. Vikings. He says this trophy in particular is one of his proudest achievements.

Johnni Nielsen
F.C. Vikings founder
This is the newest trophy we won in our team. This was Shih Hsin University that won this trophy. I am very proud of this one. The school is proud of it and also the students are proud of it because this means that we’ve moved up to the first division in the university league.

For the past 13 years, Nielsen has made it his mission to share his passion for soccer in Taiwan, 5,000 miles away from his home in Denmark. Nielsen has played soccer since he was young. He’s even a European Football Federation-licensed coach. After he met his Taiwanese wife, Hope, the couple moved to Taiwan in 2009. In 2010, they launched a club that provides free training for soccer talent from elementary school all the way to adulthood.

Johnni Nielsen
F.C. Vikings founder
I try to do it the way I was taught when I was playing and coaching in Denmark, though I do things a bit differently here. We are a football club based in Taiwan. We play for schools because I think education is very important for young people. We go all the way from kindergarten to elementary school, junior high school, senior high school, and university, and now we have a professional team. We do training after school. We’ve just started a professional team, the F.C. Vikings PlayOne is our professional team. Our goal is to move up from the second division up to the first division and complete our AFC Club qualification. If we make it up to the best teams in Taiwan, we get to play abroad.

Hope Tsai
F.C. Vikings manager
These 13 years have had a lot of ups and downs. We are actually looking forward to let the society know that and we need to learn. We are building a brand new system here and it is something that has never existed in Taiwan before. We need to try to figure out a lot of things.

In 2023, they launched a professional adult team called Vikings PlayOne, composed of locals, students from Shih Hsin University, and players from abroad.

One player in the team is Mitchell Carter, a New Zealander who grew up in Taiwan. After attending university in New Zealand and playing for several teams semi-professionally in New Zealand and Qatar, he’s now back in Taiwan to play for the Vikings PlayOne.

Mitchell Carter
Vikings PlayOne player
I am currently a middle school PE and health teacher at Taipei American School. Obviously, one of my favorite hobbies is playing football so I am very happy to be playing football for Vikings PlayOne this year. I played a lot of football in my past so I am very happy to be in an awesome country as Taiwan is. For me, my goal is in terms of the team. That is making sure we are in the top two. If we can win this whole thing this year for division two. That would be fantastic.

After teaching at school, Carter trains with the team three times a week on the field and at least one time a week in the gym.

Mitchell Carter
Vikings PlayOne player
We train three to four times on grass. We do a lot of tactics, we do a lot of technical work. Obviously, our coach loves us to be in peak physical condition. So a lot of shuttle runs and a lot of ball work. In terms of what we do in training, it is a lot of mixture between drills, exercises, and gameplay. It is a relatively new team. It is the first year that they have had a senior team. It has been a lot of new recruits and some young guys coming through but in terms of quality, it has been probably some of the best players and teams that I played with since I’ve been here in Taiwan. Playing for a while here, I have seen the quality and the level. Definitely, this team has a really high level and potential to grow further as we progress and develop under our coach.

Making soccer more accessible is one of Nielsen’s main goals. He also hopes to provide talented players a chance to train and compete without having to choose between sport and study or sport and their full-time jobs. He says the past 13 years building up the club have not been easy, especially raising funds, as the team provides free training and covers travel expenses for its players.

Johnni Nielsen
F.C. Vikings founder
We did a lot of traveling before COVID. As you know, traveling on a football team is quite expensive. We got sponsorship. The families that can afford it they will help with the tickets for their own kids. So, we really rely on sponsors to keep it going. I believe football should be for everybody. It doesn’t really matter if you are rich or poor, you should be able to play football. For me, once you put on a uniform and it has a name, then everyone is equal. It is a giving system. It is helping a lot of people.

Hope Tsai
F.C. Vikings manager
Through Vikings, we can let people understand that football and Taiwan is open to the world. And that Taiwanese actually care.

Nielsen hopes the club will continue to provide talented players with quality training and the chance to shine in Taiwan and internationally.

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