No one is using a little sticker hidden on your battery to spy on you, no matter what Facebook tells you.
It's easy to get confused by the inside of a smartphone, even if you're reasonably familiar with a lot of the technology that goes in to these devices. NFC chips are particularly curious, as their size makes it easy to sneak them in just about anywhere, and most folks outside of the tech bubble have no idea what NFC is or why we need the tech on our phones. In fact, all it would take to get someone worried about NFC is a reasonable-ish theory about government surveillance and a narrative that suggests the technology is being hidden from you somehow.
That's exactly what is happening on Facebook right now, thanks to a video making the rounds detailing a "disturbing discovery" under a Samsung battery.
It's the sort of thing those of us who know better are likely to laugh off and get back to work, but the current conversation surrounding government surveillance makes it easy for something like this to spread like wildfire. NFC chips are regularly sealed in plastic on the backs of phones or, in Samsung's case, baked right into the battery so you were more likely to buy a Samsung-made battery when the need arose. Unfortunately, this is one of those things that aren't widely understood — because why would you — and craziness ensues.
So please, don't try to pull the sticker off of your Samsung battery. Don't let anyone you know try it either, the risk for accidentally puncturing your battery is just too high. That chip is not harvesting your data in any way, and can actually be used for some really cool things if you know how. It'd be a lot more fun to give some of those things a try.
Reader comments
PSA: That chip on your battery is not for government surveillance
And add everything that I just said disconnecting that recording device on your battery will extend the life of your battery if people are having a problem with their batteries getting too hot or getting hot really fast for no reason I cut that off and see if your battery still gets hot so do yourself a favor cut the wire extend the life of your phone and Battery and hold your middle finger to the government and say **** the police
In the case of Samsung, it looks just like a passive RFID, which is used for anti-theft, and inventory control. Passive RFIDs are very limited in the amount of information that they can send. I was just in an hour long argument with a "tech" who kept telling me that it wasn't for anti-theft or inventory. He said it was used for "bump" technology. BTW, I've studied electronic and photonic communications in college and I have a degree in applied physics. The older S3s and S4s have an actual IC chip on the circuitboard for NFC and "bump". So, any tech, that knows anything about phones, should have just said, "it's not a passive RFID, its an NFC". WTF? My arguments about RFID technology were correct. And he led me to believe that a passive RFID can be used for complex data transmission AND receiving.
If this is a so called nfc tag why would it need to be connected to my battery and actually be powered by my battery. Nfc tags need no power to work. Like the one in my passport, lol. Any one care to explain that. Cause in my eyes it means it will be doing something even when my phone is unplugged and even if I have the battery out of the phone.
The editor of this article fail to explain what this Chip is for, he just bla bla bla without any proof of what trully is for, so if is not some kind of signal tracker or encode chip type what is it?
Don't Use that word 'CONSPIRACY THEORIST' It really is for followers. There's actually no such thing. But there is a word that is the antithesis in the concept that is trying to be expressed here, it's a long word though. It's called 'Fear of the Government not being straight up for not being able to deal with that as a reality'. Look it up, it's in Websters dictionary. Let people THINK without labelling them.
Well here is the thing.... short range nfc..well come time if SHTF they can track us and know we are within short range. Tgen you say well it can not transfer anything. Well that is until you activate your nfc to use it that is then all that stores data can be tranfered. Umm hello? Ever wonder how they can take over your phone and listen or use your camera ever wonder why apps need all those permissions? Ever wonder at all? So here is the question to anyone who took tgat "nfc" device out.. Does tge nfc still work and function correctly wihout it? If it dies then you know its not for NFC.. Common sense people. Doubledouble2012@gmail.com....I would love to hear from people who have tried it.
If you're that paranoid or a crim don't have a mobile phone. . I have nothing to hide. .
Doesn't make it any less creepy or unethical to people.
It's all garbage anyway. NFC doesn't even come close to having the capability of pulling off a stunt like that. Cellphones scream through megaphones, NFC whispers like a timid little mouse through cupped hands.
I have nothing to hide..
Don't go tearing your phone apart and piddling around with the battery, unless you want your phone to burn up like napalm! :P
Wait, wait, wait.....I see this as a smoke screen to the real data collector....ummm FACEBOOK. Quick everyone who has a smartphone and uses facebook, quickly throw it in a river, smash it or burn it. This is the only way you are safe. OK that should take care of the idiots.
Okay, someone answer this. Why is that thing on the battery anyways? What is it utilized for? I am curious.
Please for the love of your phone read the full article PLEASE. it is a nfc chip used for a lot of things 1 wireless phone charging 2 if you have a newer tv your phone can be a remote for your TV 3 the app bump...the list goes on...furthermore they use the same satellite that gives your phone service to spy on you. Rip whatever you want off your phone they are still there
This is absolutely idiotic! I agree witb wlfpck. All this is doing is helping phone manufacturers give a reason as to why they should make phones with non removable backings! SMH!
Sigh... And this only helps manufacturers move towards non-removable backings and non-removable batteries.
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Wow, I didn't even know fear of the NFC chip in Samsung batteries was a thing until reading this.
So tell me. What exactly is it for then?
But not have a legitimate reason its there lol ppl do the most
Y'all can fall fa this if y'all want to I been took mines off how can u have something on the bk of battery but now have a legitimate answer of y its there that's str8 baby bk bullshit
Hmmmm what IS NFC??
I love that this is clearly "the Jews" doing. What a maniac.
The obvious thing here is if the government wanted to spy on you they already can tap straight into our phones...no need for NFC...
I actually did watch the video, just to see what all the fuss is about.
I don't know whether to laugh or cry. I saw so many people tagging their friends and taking it seriously and I'm afraid they may have already ruined their phones.
So much so that many tech-savvy people (myself included) had to spend a lot of time leaving comments about what NFC is, what it does and why you shouldn't ruin your battery.
Oh Facebook :(
It makes me really sad that you even had to write this article... SMH
We live in a world full of idiots, I'm afraid.
I obviously wouldn't say it's being used for this purpose however it's very possible technically. Yes it has a short range but a phone could be hacked to read the contents itself and send it elsewhere to possibly determine who purchased it, however there are other unique identifiers built into the phones like imei, Mac and meid numbers that could be used without doing this. However all the numbers above can be changed with the right no know. I will say however it could be used and obviously anybody trying to gain access as a job is always going to look to find every avenue to exploit. In saying this they would also have to gain access to Samsung's database to link it to a customer. Unless the goal is just to link traffic to the same device.
I still don't trust the government so yes I removed mine
Mhmm... Conspiracy. And secret society.. Mhmm.
When the government wants to spy on you they simply turn your mic and phone camera on lol.
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Tin foil hat, tin foil boots, tin foil belt buckle. Don't worry people, nobody is looking at pictures of the lunch you had a few days ago or picture's of your dog. I'm also pretty sure nobody cares about your porno watching history. Keep calm and carry on.
Posted via Morse Code
Although I don't fault people for "questioning everything", this is taking it a little to the extreme. Yes, the tech-savvy can see through the panic behind this, and will laugh it off. But by insulting those that may worry, there are better ways to calm them down.
Learn how the technology works, explain it's purpose, and provide the worst case scenario, while at the same time offer a solution of (which in this case) the worst is very unlikely to happen.
That being said, I have NFC disabled on my phone. Don't use it, don't need it on. Same with Bluetooth. No i"m not running down the streets proclaiming "They're on to me!!", it's my choice to have these disabled.
While I agree in principle, experience has taught me otherwise. Ron White nailed it in saying, "You can't fix stupid".
What makes you think I want them to calm down? This is great cheap entertainment and it requires no effort on my part.
Yeah, your suppose to take the chip off the battery and paste it behind your left ear. And then you will be directly hooked into the NSA server which will give you the ability to broadcast wifi within 50 feet and will run indefinitely off your body's own electrical output, at speeds exceeding 1.3 gbps.
It called Project Speed Brain 2.0
It was first exposed by Edward Snowden, the American Patriot, whose Bronze Statue will soon appear in the Capital Rotunda.
Posted via Android Central App
Giving it a try now
Posted via Morse Code
LMAO!! Well played! :D
http://worldtruth.tv/how-to-stop-your-phone-from-being-tracked/
Maybe we should convince these dumb people that microwaving the battery will kill this spy chip and make the battery last much longer...
Engadget will do an article on this if they haven't done already. It's right up thier alley
Posted via the "None-Ya" app
Proof that many lack critical thinking skills (aka. common sense)!
But, but people put chemicals in the water too!! See the video
https://youtu.be/HV9gRFv5Kgc
[sarcasm]
Yeah, you know that fluoride is in there to help your teeth! Bwaaaaaahaah
Lmao I watches the video, some guy was claiming that the NFC chip was a chip used to spy on us. People in the comment section where hailing Apple as the best and others were removing the plastic layer on their batteries. Ahhh some of the population should go back to sending mail as their main form of communication. Would help the USPS
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They didn't know that their iPhone has the exact same chip that does what all phones with NFC could.
I saw this today and did a massive facepalm. Glad someone posted this to confirm because no one wanted to believe me. Will be resharing this for all the ignorant idiots. :)
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I'm sure I'll be seeing it today, tomorrow, next month when my grandmother emails it to me asking if her iPhone has that, and the following month when my grandmother calls me to ask about a video she saw and wants to make sure her iPhone is still safe. And then every few months again on Facebook.
Responds me of when people are convinced you could charge an iPhone in the microwave... Or that the iPhone 4 was water proof.
Article is fake. Russell is simply telling us what the government wants him to tell us.
Disclaimer: I'm joking.
Fake disclaimer IMO
They're coming for you. Get out while you can.
My tinfoil hat will protect me.
I'll save this article so I can be prepped for the first conspiracy theorist to post about it on my FB newsfeed, haha.
Facebook lol.
LoL
Posted via Morse Code
Something I've always wondered... Why put NFC in the battery? Is it because it's the last "attached" thing closest to the back cover?
Posted via the Android Central App
You answered your own question. Wonder no more.
No. It's so when your Samsung battery goes out, your kind of forced to buy another Samsung battery because of the NFC being integrated on the battery. No Samsung battery = no NFC.
Posted from the Nexus 6, Nexus 5, or Surface Pro 3
Now there's a conspiracy I can get behind. Though there are easier, more effective ways to block cheap Chinese knockoff batteries.
Hehe. Bought a Sammy one on eBAY and noticed it was same mAh, but ever so slightly thinner. Then I tried to drop a pic to another Note and my ohhh crap moment came. Ouch.
Many of the third-party batteries also have the NFC antenna. I had one from Anker in my S3, worked just fine for NFC payments.
I said it in the article. "NFC chips are regularly sealed in plastic on the backs of phones or, in Samsung's case, baked right into the battery so you were more likely to buy a Samsung-made battery when the need arose."
Also there are people who believe that as long as the battery fits in the phone, it will work. And OEM batteries are kind of on a no-no list anyways...wouldn't use one if they knew what was good for them.
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Yep, first thing I do when I get a new phone is swap out those OEM batteries ... my old iPhone nearly killed me getting it out.
LOL, sorry troshs, I could not resist. :-D
This is ridiculous. What's next? An infrared picture of a phone after it runs benchmarks over and over again on pre release software that makes people think the phone will overheat?
People will believe anything there days.
Posted from my Droid Turbo, Kelly and Ozone
As PT Barnum said, "There's a sucker born every minute."
Posted via my Nexus 6
The rest of that quote: "and two to take him".
LMAO
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LOL they can spy on me if the want like a give a crap lol...
Da fuq is wrong with people?
Tinfoil stocks are on the rise.
+1
That's what I'm saying. If there were anything interesting going on in my life, it would most likely be a reality show, knowing what most people are intrigued by.
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Sweet! Just PM me your gmail/password. I promise (cross my heart) to only delete junk mail you receive.
There's nothing to worry about at all by me having access to your data. You've got nothing to hide, right?
Lay off the tinfoil bruh, you're suffering from paranoia
don't waste your time, they'll never get it...
I wouldn't believe AC any more than any other place with no proof backing it up. Not that I believe this is harvesting my data.
The proof is that it's an NFC chip, so by design it couldn't possibly be doing what these people are claiming.
An NFC chip could easily communicate with Samsung's proprietary apps and the permissions for said apps have access. But, I know, they aren't doing that. They could though. The ability is there.
Even if that were true — it's not — and even if Samsung could do this without the user being aware, the chip can neither store nor transfer the kind of information they claim is being collected here.
hmmmm is correct. ALthough it's proabably not happening (as he said clearly), it is easily manipulated and could happen behind the user's view. Our Government (USA) has proven time and time and time again that they are in no way to be trusted to respect the legal privacy of the citizenry. Anyone who believes otherwise is not paying attention or worse.
Why would they use NFC? It's very short range. It makes no sense.
So the US Gubberment is always within 2-3 inches of my phone at all times so they can get data via the NFC antenna?
ANY phone could get a malicious app that steals data, but that has nothing to do with NFC. Many credit cards have NFC/RFID in them now. Is my credit card somehow steaming my information? lol
Ladies and Gentlemen,
We are not alone in the universe. We are not alone on Earth. You may not know of this subject. You may know a lot. Our planet has been hijacked by an elite group of individuals. However, being elite implies that they are the best or representing the most choice. They are not the best. They are the worst. For the past one hundred years they have controlled everything from behind the scenes just as a director creating a film. For the past one hundred years they have lied to you and tricked you into thinking they don't even exist. You may have heard rumors about them at some point in your life. That's because the information is out there and people like to talk. Some of the people involved eventually tell someone and that someone eventually talks. More and more of you are realizing the reality of the situation. More and more of you are accepting we are not alone. The information is out there and people like to talk. To those of you whom are unaware of this situation or who don't believe these ideas take some time out of your daily routines to research this with an open mind. To those of you who do know start spreading this information, this speech and everything you know about it to everyone you know. The "elite" are ants inside a hose in the rest of us are the hand on the faucet ready to release the water. Finally, to those of you involved in this illegal organization and want out; want the truth to be revealed; reveal it. The time is now. You do not serve them; they should serve us and you know it. Once everything is revealed they will have no choice but to pour out like ants in a hose. I'm calling on all people. The time is now.
You sound CRAAAAAZY!
What data could they possible scrape from a NFC chip? The range is less than 20cm. I'm sorry, even IF they were able to trap whatever data is being captured by the NFC chip, they would have to force the user to move their device within range of another NFC chip and actively tap for the data transfer to occur.
Come on Russell, now you're just making sense. Stop it! :)
It connects to a Russian satellite and sends samples of your DNA from the phone's mouthpiece. Then if you are identified as a spy by the DNA, the chip starts a tiny fission reaction that will incinerate you. Obviously.
Don't forget that they're using your DNA to create an army of clones.
If they're creating an army of clones from members of this website, they're going to have an army with the inability to talk to women, and therefore, no more procreation. They're going to end the human race!
Lol it doesn't matter since they can create more clones! I knew it, this conspiracy is the real deal.
(applause)
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Well played!
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jay...you're here or do you think you don't count. FYI, the technology can be used to send info to a Trojan horse app that can send data...if its connected to the net, it can be hacked...period
FYI if the Trojan can access the NFC it can already access all other data on the phone so it being there is irrelevant. People believe anything they read on Facebook.
I don't believe commenters who have no proof that their skepticism of editors who do this for a living (and, ya know, have a shred of common sense) might in any way believe that something like this could or would ever harvest a commenter's data and ...
Until we are allowed to post animated GIFs as well, I can't trust the editors... ;)
Honest question.
Are you trolling, or are you really this dumb?
It's probably both.
Why would they use NFC... it's called Near Field Communication for a reason... you have to be very close for it to work. If they were going to spy on you all they need to do is look up your phones records... Heck your phone has a data connection... if they were going to have a hidden why of spying on you they'd just use your data connection to access your data.
This is all just so funny... not saying it couldn't happen... life is too short to get worked up over stuff like this.
This is right up there with people microwaving iPhones. Some people should not be allowed to use a smartphone.
those are the same people that should not be allowed to leave the house...
actually those are the people we should be removing warning labels for, let the situation sort itself out.
+10000
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Ahh the Darwin award approach.
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"I want to play a game... either you learn to be more inquisitive and stop relying on unreliable, superficial glances at information or you become the next to win the Darwin Award."
It's also the same people whose phones are smarter than them.
http://d.justpo.st/media/images/2014/09/157d39262ab90d36211042a0bb8025dd...
And from the Britt no less!!! lol
Everybody is a conspiracy theorist nowadays and thinks that the governments spying on them
well... i think it's been made pretty clear that governments ARE spying on citizens...
not with NFC stickers, ok. but who need NFC stickers when you're the NSA?
Hello, You know they are spying on you right??? So I guess it's not a conspiracy after all huh?
god are people really this blind to following stories that way?
Conspiracies man lol
sadly, yes :(
Yes, and that's a big reason why I stopped using Facebook months ago.
Yes. Sadly, yes.
I haven't seen this on FB yet, but I'm sure it will come soon. Bookmarked for when the time comes.
https://www.facebook.com/ghulam.mustafacharity/videos/854284154662572/?p...
This one too : https://www.facebook.com/richie.mari/videos/10152801055996082/
Hilarious how they've just voided their warranty (if they had one) over paranoia over an NFC chip. Also don't understand how HTMLSpinnr's video says they use this chip to transmit data over the internet... when it could just use the standard hardware in the phone to complete the task, and be less detectable.
You don't need the same battery it came with for a warranty issue... either way.. stupid to follow something shared on facebook.
I was actually one of the crazy FB people who did remove this liner. No scratches to the battery, came off smoothly and my phone is still the same. It holds a charge longer and I can still do all the things I could before. Don't know "deal or dud" but I did it...
Dud. Yes, you might be saving a little juice while the phone is awake but for security reasons NFC cannot operate when the screen is off, and thus does not accept or transmit any signals.
For when it's on, you just turn the NFC feature off in your settings. The end.
As for any of the absurd notions people have about NFC such as stealing credit cards or being used to spy on you, let's put it this way: signal strength and thus readable distance is based in part on how much electricity is used... so a cellphone is basically screaming into a megaphone... Wifi is shouting, Bluetooth is talking at a reasonable volume... NFC cups its hands over its mouth and whispers as quietly as it possibly can right into your ear so there's no way to hear it without putting your ear right against its mouth. It has maybe an inch worth of range and works in only one direction.
As for the credit card thing, CCs use magnetic tape that kind of looks like a barcode to a computer, and radiotransmitters like NFC chips work like ears without directional hearing rather than the braille-reading fingertips that your card-swipe readers basically work like. They can't pick up any details.
As for people scanning an NFC card right out of your pocket, that's a very real threat and one you should absolutely protect yourself against. It's easy, though. Just get two NFC cards and keep them together... going back to the vocal analogy, just try to listen to two people telling you to do two totally different things... and neither of them stop to take a breath. Machines don't like it either. Other solutions that you can even go so far as to stack together are for-that-purpose dummy cards that follow the same make-some-noise idea I just mentioned, grabbing some RFID card sleeves with a bit of foil to interfere with things and even using a wallet for that same purpose. Just don't try using your RFID bus pass with an arsenal like this... obvious reasons.