TechnologyJuly 24, 2026

wiretapping

/ˈwaɪərˌtæpɪŋ/

Definition

The act of secretly connecting a device to a communication line, such as a telephone or internet connection, to intercept or monitor private audio and data transmissions.

Etymology

The term combines the noun 'wire', referring to telegraph or telephone lines, with 'tapping', which originates from the practice of making a physical connection to a circuit to extract information.

In the news

The term appears in the context of ongoing lawsuits against Amazon, where plaintiffs allege that voice assistants recorded private conversations without user consent. It is used here to identify a specific legal category of privacy violation involving the unlawful interception of private communications.

FACTBOX – Major fines, lawsuits against Big Tech over AI and data practices

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Anadolu Ajansı

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