bugging devices

Bugging devices are small electronic tools used for covert surveillance, typically to secretly record conversations or monitor activity in a space.

They include hidden microphones, miniature cameras, and GPS trackers planted without the knowledge of those being observed.

The term comes from the slang sense of bug meaning a concealed listening device.

The security team swept the office for bugging devices before the meeting.

Such devices figure prominently in spy fiction and real-world espionage, though their use by private citizens often violates wiretapping laws.