TECH

Fingerprint sensor may have a hidden spy camera

Recently, many smartphone manufacturers have started to equip their devices with subscreen fingerprint readers. He learned that a device designed to protect the contents of the smartphone's memory from prying eyes could become a serious threat to privacy.
A Reddit user hidden under the nickname ''u/ntelas46'', for the purpose of the experiment, gained full access to the fingerprint sensor on the subscreen of his Xiaomi Mi 9T smartphone. The result is likely to shock many. It turns out that the sensor can be used as a spy camera. In addition, during operation, the fingerprint reader does not let you know that a recording is in progress. Of course, the video captured by the fingerprint sensor is of poor quality and it is difficult to distinguish something from it, but with the development of technology, this espionage can become common.
In any case, users who fear surveillance will now be more cautious with devices with subscreen fingerprint scanners. Unlike laptops and smartphones with a visible front camera, where some users, especially concerned with privacy, cover the cameras with tape, covering the fingerprint sensor without sacrificing usability will not work.

AVnews