phone tap
Covert line monitoring
A phone tap is a device or method for secretly monitoring telephone conversations, typically used by law enforcement or intelligence agencies.
The term covers both the physical wiretap on a phone line and the broader practice of surveillance: The FBI got a warrant for a phone tap on the suspect's home line.
To tap a phone is to install such monitoring.
The practice raises persistent questions about privacy and government overreach.
- wiretapHidden listening device
- surveillanceSystematic observation of subjects
- eavesdropListen to private conversations
- bugCrawling creature or defect
- listeningAttending to sound
FBI · spying · intercept · recording · warrant · covert · secret agent · monitor · NSA · law enforcement · landline · party line · receiver · click · static · paranoia · investigation · court order
- surveillance lawwiretap, FISA, electronic surveillance, eavesdropping, intercept
- audio devicesmic, CD player, iPod, stereo, turntable
- tapsfaucet, spigot, stopcock, valve, touch
- Spycraftspy, agent, asset, covert, handler
- investigation gearfingerprint kit, evidence bags, evidence bag, evidence marker, magnifier
- Legal Powerssubpoena, warrant, search warrant, arrest warrant, seizure
phone tapsecure line
Encrypted communication pathway
privacy protection · secure communication · end-to-end encryption · communication privacy · counter-surveillance
phone tapend-to-end encryption
Unreadable data between sender and recipient
secure channel · burner phone · secure messaging · countersurveillance · bug sweep
phone taphidden microphone
Concealed audio surveillance device
video surveillance · GPS tracking · satellite surveillance · CCTV monitoring
phone, tap, phones, phoned, phoning, telephone, telephony, telephonic, microphone