◆ SpookStack

id ju es. Some. me iretapping a crime in, itself, Fwhile others hold it illegal only) ~ lif the intercepted megsages 2 are disclosed. a ALABAMA, LIKE 32 other] states, has laws making ‘wire- tapping a crime punishable by heavy fines and. jail sentences. Under Title 48, Sections 415 and] 416, of the Alabama Code, wire- tapping or interferring with} telephone communication is 2 misdemeanor punishable by a lor both. Eleven states have no laws lat all governing wiretapping or| recorded telephone conversa-|? tions. Six states permit wire- tapping — but confine its legal use mainly to law enforcement. | The threat to privacy is by jno means limited to monitored phone conversations. A child can order through the mail a $15 device which | magnifies sound and can pick up a conversation in a room | across the street. i For $17.90, anyone can ‘have an instrument which “taps” telephone without touching wire. For $150, “a budding ‘spy ¢an ‘buy a television camera which jean scan a room in complete, {Secrecy and transmit pictures, with sound, to a hidden receiv- jer several blocks away. a PRIVATE DETECTIVES con} some ’ with! ceal micraphones, built-in transmitters, in hat-| bands, wrist watches or tie clasps. Microphones, no larger than a button, feeds conversa tions to a recorder concealed on the detective’s person, then re- lays it to a Teceiver, several blocks away. : Tiny transmitters can” “be ‘in- stalled in rooms, $500 fine or six months . in 3 il, jhis line. If the repairman finds offices and] . dd eg ‘f eV = Q in all the three me fi Alabama, fhe igs tioned and Caused trotible’ of the telephone lines. In Miss, Poole’s, case, there Was a bu: the’ line even after a number had been dialed. Rass) The two ‘bugs iiistatted in Bir- mingham homes caused other conversations to “leak” through. Hin other, words, the user, bugged Phorie, ‘could he people talking while they tried ies, a Malfunctioning bug will cause interrupted dial- ing “or. other oddities in the. ‘phone's operation. . A PERSON WHO sudpedits his! phone has, beentapped can easi: ly relieve’ his mind by asking| the telephone company to check la “voltage drop’ on the line, it! is almost certain the phone is) being tapped somehow. : All bugs aren’t detectable how-! lever. For example anyone can ajbe recorded by the person on the other end of the: line: ithout de- tection... pee ‘Anyone SuSpecting is con- versation is being recorded, can foul the recording by sim- | ply tapping the mouthpiece ‘ot | the phone with a pencil or oth- er objects during the conver- sation. The noise will magnify and blot out parts of the con-_ versation. Similar results ean .be ob- tained by other noises in’ the room, ‘such asmusic, a loud television. or even running“ wa: ter. Devices ‘for ‘recording tele: phone conversations "are ex- tremely sensitive and will mag- even atitomobiles., They are-pow: | wal erful enough to send conversa. tions seyeral blocks . to ‘several miles. 22 aes Even execiilives have reached the point where, they fidget’ if] visitor’ even-ssqinuch as sets a! briefcase or purse near, them, > Although it ‘is: extremely dif,