Speaking at a cyber security conference in Boston Wednesday, FBI Director James Comey did not directly address the elephant in the room: WikiLeaks.
Comey never mentioned the massive dump of documents (reportedly from the CIA) that detail the ability of security agencies to spy on people in their homes through their electronic devices.
However, the head of the country's top law enofrcement agency, did emphasize that "a reasonable expectation of privacy in our homes, in our cars, in our devices...is a vital part of being an American."
WikiLeaks revelations describing secret CIA hacking tools allegedly used to break into computers, mobile phones and even smart TVs have Americans wondering if the CIA is listening to their conversations.
While the short answer is probably no, experts say the long answer is maybe. The WikiLeaks documents suggest the CIA has attempted to turn TVs into listening devices and to circumvent — though not crack — messaging apps that employ protective data scrambling.
Comey told the cyber security conference, "The government cannot invade our privacy without good reason, reviewable in court. that's the heart of America."
"We all value privacy, I hope," Comey continued, "We all value security. We should never have to sacrifice one for the other."
Last year, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg was photographed with his laptop camera and microphone covered with tape. Some online called him paranoid; others suggested he was just being smart.
Ed Mierzwinski, consumer program director at consumer advocacy group U.S. PIRG, said the news should alert consumers to how vulnerable internet-connected devices are.
"This should be a wakeup call for the average consumer," Mierzinski said.
He recommended changing passwords on smart TVs, cameras and other connected devices as often as you change computer passwords. "Whether it's your refrigerator, smart lights you program from your phone or your baby monitor, the security systems in most 'internet of things' products are actually dumb, not smart."
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