RCMP reveal spyware capable of tapping into phones, webcams

https://tnc.news/2022/06/30/rcmp-spyware/

The RCMP has admitted to using spyware and other questionable methods to hack into phones and other electronic devices.

Malware and other hacking methods were only used in extreme circumstances when other options proved ineffective, the national policing force affirms.

According to the RCMP, it used these methods in 10 investigations between 2018 and 2020.

“This is a kind of capability that they have done everything possible to keep incredibly quiet,” senior researcher at the University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab Christopher Parsons told Politico.

“This is a remarkable finding and, for the first time, publicly reveals that the RCMP is using spyware to infiltrate mobile devices, as well as the broad capabilities of their spyware.”

The federal force cited the proliferation of encrypted communication methods as a reason for employing the tactics.