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Brits think that everyone is listening to their phone calls

by on17 June 2014

Because they are so damn important

More than 90 per cent of British people think that they are so important that the government will be listening on their phone calls. A study, conducted by OnePoll and sponsored by Silent Circle found that most people were cynical on the matter. Only 12 percent of the 1,000 UK respondents believed their mobile calls and texts remained private.

This means that nine in ten think they're being listened in on and the government is desperate to find out how their husband’s op went, and who looked at whom funny during bingo. More than a third admitted they were "careful what they say" during a mobile call, assuming their conversation will be heard by flapping intelligence agency ears somewhere. One in four said they would actively avoiding making a call on a mobile in order to achieve some privacy.

However, some folks believe that it's fine to listen in on the general publics' phone chatter, with 20 percent saying it was "okay" to do so. Brits were not clear about who was doing the tapping. More than half thought it was “the government” and 44 per cent thought it was the cops. A third thought their mobile network provider was spying on them and a more than a quarter thought criminals.

Vic Hyder, Revenue Chief for Silent Circle, commented: "What our study confirms is that the wider working population of the UK are aware of the ever-increasing threats to the data we transmit via mobile technology. They know of eavesdropping capabilities, but in many ways are consigned to the abuse -- not just from Government but from criminal scavengers and corporate competition".

He added: "Everyone feels the need for privacy at some time or another, practically each and every day. Whether it's closing the door to your office while negotiating contract details or turning your head in the coffee shop while discussing a family matter. Privacy is appreciated by all, and all should have a place to go to be private -- even in a digital smartphone world with eyes and ears nearly everywhere".

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