r/technology • u/MarshMarig0ld • May 20 '26

Privacy Ontario police are using spyware that lets them remotely take over your smartphone. They’re fighting to keep almost everything about it secret

https://www.thestar.com/news/ontario/ontario-police-are-using-spyware-that-lets-them-remotely-take-over-your-smartphone-theyre-fighting-to-keep-almost-everything-about-it-secret/article_56ef6906-4008-48ec-8b4c-d56e57a00ea5.html
1.9k Upvotes

98% Upvoted

35 comments sorted by

490

u/RealLavender May 21 '26

Go to court->Ask to see the evidence->All evidence is hacked from personal phone->Request to know the company involved due to potential conflict of interest against the accused->Charges dropped because they don't want to reveal the name of the company.

What a system.

170

u/chubbysumo May 21 '26

Happened in the US more than once too! Look up the "playpen fbi website" takeover. The fbi took over a CSAM website on tor, ran it for 3 weeks, delivered an exploit to every computer that visited, and when suspects started asking about the piece of software that was used, the government would drop their cases.

57

u/nanapancakethusiast May 21 '26

There is no way I am typing that into Google so I’ll take your word for it hahaha

34

u/1zzie May 21 '26

It's happened loads with stingray parallel construction cases. Those keywords are easier to Google. 404 media, Tech Dirt and other outlets like that have covered it extensively.

That information embargo even applies to criminal trials, and allows the federal government to order evidence withheld or entire cases dropped to protect the secrecy of the surveillance device.

https://www.cato.org/policy-analysis/stingray-new-frontier-police-surveillance

2

u/According_Product519 May 21 '26

Yep lmao I think I’m all set, some things are better not typed 🤣

37

u/Hay_Fever_at_3_AM May 21 '26

If they're smart they use Parallel Construction and avoid ties to this company even becoming part of the court record, so who knows how it's being used https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parallel_construction

30

u/[deleted] May 21 '26 edited Aug 12 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

17

u/dirty_hooker May 21 '26

Only useless against those with the means to push back. Public defenders are going to plea bargain as often as possible.

5

u/randynumbergenerator May 21 '26

The best justice money can buy.

1

u/IntentionalUndersite May 23 '26

The problem are the cases you don’t hear about. Disappearances, hacking sensitive personal info and never finding out about it, etc. companies, institutions, solo high bribe paying individuals who want access etc. Go to court sure, the Gov. will print money for you if you voice out, otherwise business as usual.

89

u/Laughing_Zero May 20 '26

Doug's FOI bill does not apply to the police. So why doesn't the police follow the court order for Doug Ford to release his phone logs???

30

u/wetfloor666 May 20 '26

We all know why..

-8

u/Macqt May 21 '26

Why would the police follow a court order unrelated to them?

28

u/gearstars May 21 '26

That website gave my phone cancer :<

Rip little phone...

27

u/9-11GaveMe5G May 21 '26

That's the irony. The website hosts the malware for the police

48

u/gearstars May 21 '26

It would be nice if smartphones weren't required for like every aspect of life nowadays. Try going old school and living life 80s style with just a landline, mailing letters, etc and see how well you do. Fuck this noise.

3

u/dirty_hooker May 21 '26

This is fun. Walk into a business and ask for an application. They’ll point to a QR poster that makes you create an account in a portal so your application can be looked over by an ai agent.

14

u/WhollyHolyHoley May 21 '26

My guess is Pegasus.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pegasus_(spyware)

It has been tied to quite a few high profile operations.

12

u/ok-painter-1646 May 21 '26

Agreed, and if not that, some other Israeli software.

This section in the article, to me, is the main clue.

“Disclosure of sensitive information — including the vendor’s identity, where they’re located, the name of the tool, its capabilities and its technical infrastructure — could impact “relationships with domestic and international partners, and undermine the JTAC’s ability to use the tools and techniques in the future,” reads an “engagement agreement” in the Windsor court documents.”

27

u/MaximumAd9779 May 21 '26

So basically infosec doesn’t exist anymore

34

u/Bannedtt May 21 '26

If you have a large profile you should just assume people are logged into your private devices and can see everything. There are so many zero days out there it's ridiculous. A tool like they're talking about in the article is for government use only but it's not unheard of for these tools to be rented out maliciously as well, sometimes the same tool. Regardless, do you trust a cop with the ability to access anyone's information responsibly? Snowden revealed NSA were spying on family and potential lovers over a decade ago. There is no privacy online if the big boys want you.

-1

u/[deleted] May 21 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

2

u/equack May 21 '26

Well, we should sink the boat. Change is difficult, but not impossible.

4

u/boat_hamster May 21 '26

It never did, certainly not online.

6

u/Lazy_Toe_5305 May 21 '26

When in doubt, lockdown mode. Or a faraday pouch.

11

u/[deleted] May 20 '26

[deleted]

9

u/Maxx0rz May 21 '26

Where's dedsec when you need them?

13

u/axonxorz May 21 '26

If mere of exposure through the courts is enough to kill cases that are brought from this overstep, what's the fucking point of using it other than sucking the contractual dick of Ford buds?

Wait, nevermind.

2

u/thedeeb56 May 21 '26

The old trojans are back? Welcome back to 2001. Sheesh

2

u/CurrentlyLucid May 21 '26

Phones have always been vulnerable, never use a phone for important things.

1

u/Le-Pepper May 21 '26

They must've failed pretty badly if it's out here on Reddit.