Top 9 hijacked objects to do horrible things with

1. The “Airdrop” feature of iPhones, to harass

According to this article from Le Monde, the Airdrop is not always used wisely in schoolyards. Dick pics sent galore or revenge porn: some high school students use Airdrop (sending media via Bluetooth, from one iPhone to another) as a harassing, dangerous and humiliating tool. According to testimonies collected by the media, more and more teenagers, sometimes still minors, see photos of themselves naked or stripped randomly on hundreds of other phones. In France, and according to the penal code, sending images of a sexual nature in this way is considered sexual harassment, punishable by three years’ imprisonment and a fine of 45,000 euros.

Note, however, that by default, the AirDrop feature is set to only allow sharing between contacts. To avoid receiving problematic data, avoid allowing sharing with “Anyone”. The feature can be disabled completely from the phone’s control center.

2. Air tags, to track strangers

The idea was not bad: invent a small object to hang on his valuables (the keys to the apartment, the car, the wallet, the laptop bag, etc.) to be able to locate them from his telephone. Bright. But now, some stalkers have decided to divert the first use to much more murky ends: slipping them into the bag of strangers in the street, to trace them and find out where they live. Yes, it’s creepy, and particularly disturbing.

To prevent this kind of incident from happening again, Apple provides several types of alerts. On iPhone, iPad or iPod touch, the “locate” application sends a notification to your device if an unknown AirTag is walking around with you. If you don’t have an Apple device, know that the AirTag will start ringing after several hours away from its owner. On Android, you can also install a tracker detection app.

3. Wireless headphones, to listen to other people

No, wireless headphones don’t just allow you to listen to music, a video or make a phone call! By using the “listening in real time” option, some voluntarily leave one of their headphones close to a conversation they wish to hear. Yes, it’s super vicious.

4. Voice assistants who freak out and give dangerous directions

Overall, there’s a whole bunch of not-so-intelligent artificial intelligences out there that have twisted and completely swung to the dark side of the force. For example, the audio assistant “Alexa”, who advised a 10-year-old child to “half plug in a phone charger, then place a coin on the visible part of the pins”. Ideal for causing electrocution, fire and multiple bodily harm.

Another bias and danger: the question of espionage, here too. In 2018, the same voice assistant recorded a couple’s chat and then sent it to a third party, without the “victims” realizing they were being recorded. Creepy x10000. (Source)

5. Video surveillance cameras, to observe people in their intimacy

Basically, these cameras are intended to ensure the security of a home and its inhabitants. A camera in an entrance, in the garden or on the facade, why not. A camera in a bathroom, toilet or intimate places, there, it becomes more than problematic. Recently, dozens and dozens of testimonials have swarmed the web, denouncing this type of slightly surprising and disturbing discoveries in Airbnbs. The site has also made a small reminder of permissions/prohibitions in terms of monitoring, in rentals. The creepy diversion of cameras also exists in the other direction: some tenants place cameras in rental accommodation, to observe the owner or future holidaymakers. In summary: be vigilant.

6. Webcams, also used for voyeuristic purposes

Best revolution for remote couples, telecommuting, times of global pandemics, covids, and all people remote in one way or another by distance. Problem: the appearance of “webcam hacking”. As the name suggests, these are people who hack into cameras remotely, turn them on, and observe the lives of those who haven’t turned off (or unplugged) their computers. They then use it for personal gain or for cyber-blackmail. Since then, most cameras come with an indicator light when turned on. Also useful and accessible: webcam covers, which simply obstruct the lens.

7. Phones and computers, of course

Well, clearly, I’m not telling you anything. Telephones and computers are initially two very practical technologies, but like everywhere… There are always idiots to make the thing less pleasant, by hacking other devices, using them to harass, to blackmail, to edit problematic photos or videos, etc. In short, the list of negative uses that are made of it today is unfortunately much too long to be detailed in this point.

8. …Just like the internet and social media

Same as for the previous point: everyone knows it, but it is still important to remember that the Internet is (unfortunately) not always used wisely. To cite just a few examples, there is in particular a mess of fake news, hacking of accounts, surges of hatred, young people who transform the networks into a tool of harassment,… In short, here too, the list of problematic uses is quite long.

9. Antidiabetics, used by influencers as slimming

In June 2022, Australian influencers started praising Ozempic, a drug for type 2 diabetics, claiming its slimming benefits. Consequence: the treatment was stormed in pharmacies, and the country’s patients suffered from a shortage of treatment. Problematic and selfish. Not to mention that medicine has no perspective on the possible adverse effects of such a drug on the health of non-diabetics. Breeeef, THIS IS NOT MADE FOR!