In statements that sparked widespread controversy about the limits of privacy in the digital age, John Kiriakou, a former agent at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), revealed intelligence capabilities he described as "disturbing", enabling global security agencies to have unlimited power to spy on individuals through their everyday devices, from smartphones to cars and TVs.
Beyond the Screens.. "Vault 7" and the Hidden Capabilities
During his appearance on the podcast "The Diary of a CEO" with host Stephen Bartlett, Kiriakou warned that the belief in the security of digital devices is "an absolute illusion". He based his talk on the famous "Vault 7" leaks, affirming that intelligence agencies do not just intercept messages and calls, but go further by turning household devices into "spies".
Kiriakou explained that the CIA possesses technologies that can turn the speakers in smart TVs into sensitive microphones, functioning even when the device is turned off, allowing everything in the room to be broadcast directly to operations centers.
Digital Assassination.. Cars Under Control
The former agent’s warning did not stop at surveillance but also moved to a direct threat to physical safety, where he claimed that intelligence agencies are capable of remotely controlling the computer systems of modern cars. Kiriakou explicitly referred to the possibility of staging collision accidents, throwing cars off their course, or steering them towards obstacles to make them look like natural traffic accidents.
The Global Spy Club
Kiriakou emphasized that these capabilities are not exclusive to the United States (CIA and FBI) alone but are part of an "international club" that includes major intelligence powers, among them the Five Eyes alliance: (Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand), and regional and international powers: (Russia, China, France, Germany, Israel, and Iran).
Kiriakou.. From Counterterrorism to Federal Prison
It is noted that John Kiriakou has a controversial resume; he worked on the counter-terrorism file after the September 11 attacks, but later became known as a "whistleblower".
2007: He was the first intelligence official to publicly confirm the agency's use of "waterboarding" in interrogations.
2012: He was convicted of leaking confidential information related to the identity of an officer involved in harsh interrogations.
2013: He was sentenced to 30 months in prison, most of which he spent in federal prison before he was released under house arrest.
These statements reopen the "security versus privacy" dossier, confirming that what was considered a figment of spy movies in the eighties has become a technological reality that encircles the lives of millions today.
