A covert listening device, more commonly known as a bug or a wire, is usually a combination of a miniature radio transmitter with a microphone. The use of bugs, called bugging, or wiretapping is a common technique in See more

A "wire" is a device that is hidden or concealed under a person's clothes for the purpose of covertly listening to conversations in proximity to the wearer. Wires are typically … See more

In 2003, the FBI obtained a court order to surreptitiously listen in on conversations in a car through the car's built-in emergency and tracking security … See more

• Embassies and other diplomatic posts are often the targets of bugging operations.
• During … See more

Among the earliest covert listening devices used in the United States of America was the dictograph, an invention of Kelley M. Turner patented in 1906 (US Patent US843186A). … See more

Mobile phone (cell phone) microphones can be activated remotely, without any need for physical access. This "roving bug" feature has been used by law enforcement … See more

A laser microphone can be used to reconstruct audio from a laser beam shot onto an object in a room, or the glass pane of a window.
Researchers have also prototyped a method for reconstructing audio from video of thin objects that … See more