On Steven Bartlett's The Diary of a CEO podcast, former CIA officer John Kiriakou — who was once imprisoned for exposing the CIA's torture interrogation program — revealed frightening truths about the phones and tech devices we use every day. When asked about digital security, he was blunt: no device is truly secure. He warned that not just US intelligence agencies like the NSA, CIA, and FBI, but also the UK, Russia, China, Israel, and Iran all have capabilities to remotely access phones and devices. Leaked WikiLeaks "Vault 7" documents revealed that the CIA can remotely activate Smart TVs through their speakers to listen to conversations in a room — even when the TV is turned off. Kiriakou noted this was already possible as far back as the 1980s. Even more alarming: cars' computer systems can be remotely taken over. If someone wants to assassinate a target, they can covertly take control of the car's systems — causing it to plunge off a bridge or slam into a tree — without the driver ever knowing. Ref: uniladtech