Is your government tracking phone calls?    If they are spying on the President of the United States and his cabinet, what do you think they are doing to the common people?  There is an urban myth that the no-cost cell phone program is a cover for the government to monitor the calls of beneficiaries of the Lifeline program.

Have you ever heard this?  The “free government cell phone” program began in 1985 under President Ronald Reagan to help poor rural families access cheap phone service.

With these phones, it will be easier for them to find good jobs, and they can easily get assistance in case of emergencies.  Believe it or not, everyone did not have a phone.  You may remember neighbors coming to your home to use the phone when you were a kid.

Mobile Phones Susceptible to Monitoring

 If you have a cell phone, you should know it is subject to being tracked and hacked! Every year, we read how someone’s phone has been compromised, and personal information such as nude pictures had been posted online. This can happen to you!

Cell phone privacy can be a problem, whether you are doing something suspicious or not.  While it is true that cell technology is truly convenient, even the use of government phones may be vulnerable.  Is the government tracking your cell phones?  The very fact that every cell phone has a tracking mechanism is unsettling.

Do you Have a Warrant for That?

If the locating system is activated, anyone can track your movements and know where you are and what you are doing. With law enforcement increasingly requesting phone records, it should give us pause, but most people don’t give it a lot of thought. In the 2014 ruling, the Federal Appeals Court states, the police now need a warrant before accessing your personal cell phone information. 

Are your Calls being Monitored?

The average person rarely understands that free phones, even government phones, utilize GPS applications, calendar functions, and even unencrypted e-mail messaging. These software elements happen to be easiest for hackers to break into an even simpler for government agencies to monitor.

The idea of having your private phone accessed or monitored is something we should worry about, even when using these free government phones.  Some who may qualify for free phones don’t trust them.  There are those individuals who go as far as to claim that free cell phones from government organizations almost deliberately intend to act as tracking devices.

Yes, The Government can Listen to your Phone Calls.

Now, there are over 15 million Americans on government phones. Since mobile phones are free, it is certainly understandable that some would be suspicious of the government’s true motives.  This caption for CNet says: “National Security Agency discloses in secret Capitol Hill briefing that thousands of analysts can listen to domestic phone calls.” In light of this information, you can’t help but wonder, what is really going on?

Why are the Government Tracking Phone Calls?

The US Department of Defense claims the government has been using phone surveillance methods that have kept America safe by stopping at least 50 terrorist attacks since September 11th.   According to the Patriot Act, the government has the legal authority to do these use these monitoring acts.  The government’s main aim in giving free cell phones is not to keep an eye on the poor.  But, then again, you never know, do you?  With law enforcement increasingly requesting phone records, it should give us pause, but most people don’t give it a lot of thought.

 The NSA Program is Unconstitutional

The Washington Post disclosed “the existence of a top-secret NSA program called NUCLEON, which “intercepts telephone calls and routes the spoken words” to a database.  Though top Obama officials refused to divulge all the details, this is room for concern.   NSA actually has “listening posts” where calls are reviewed, and data is collected.” NSA Phone Program Likely Unconstitutional, Federal Judge Rules.  

A federal judge ruled Monday that the National Security Agency’s phone record surveillance program is likely unconstitutional.  U.S. District Court Judge Richard Leon said that the agency’s controversial program, first revealed by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden earlier this year, appears to (Read More).  With the 2014 ruling by the Federal Appeals Court states, the police now need a warrant before having access to your personal cell phone information.

Track or Hack

If you have a cell phone, it has a GPS application. Even encrypted email. These applications are straightforward to hack into. Government phones have the same vulnerabilities.  You should never take your phone privacy for granted. Not expect privacy and take all precautions to protect it.

Some disadvantaged individuals believe the government is giving away free cell phones to spy on the people.  This is absolutely false. However, any phone can be hacked. More than 15 million people in the U.S. using government phones, and many do not trust the government. Those are the ones who probably prefer not to use a government phone.