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Comment by wmeredith | Hacker News Reader

"When a user of Shazam’s Mac app turns the app “OFF,” the app actually keeps the microphone on in the background. For the security researcher who discovered that the mic is always on, it's a bug that users should know about."

That's not a bug. It's intentionally deceptive software.

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>to bug

>conceal a miniature microphone in (a room or telephone) in order to eavesdrop on or record someone's conversations secretly.

>"the telephones in the presidential palace were bugged"

Arguably it is a bug that users should know about ;) Pedantry aside, I seriously hope it's a software bug, and not an intentional wiretap bug.

A bug that is also a bug ;) I wonder if the pun was intentional. Either way, that was a great use of words.

Is this not illegal? Wouldn't this software be considered "hacking" as it is:

"modifying or altering computer software and hardware to accomplish a goal that is considered to be outside of the creator's original objective"

Or a wiretap.

It accomplishes Shazam's goal and was voluntarily installed. I think what I wrote is a fallacious argument, but can't ignore that interpretation.

I'm not talking about Shazam. I'm talking about subverting Apple's macOS intentions of "quitting the app"

Shazam subverts nothing. When you quit the app it stops listening. The "off" part is an in app setting.

Furthermore while set off the microphone is only doing is local pre-buffering.

> "modifying or altering computer software and hardware to accomplish a goal that is considered to be outside of the creator's original objective"

How would you make "keep a microphone open for faster startup, (which is the creator's original objective)" fit into the above definition.

  (which is the creator's original objective)

It's not macOS' original objective.

It's a feature. While its song matching is set "off", microphone stays on to pre-buffer. This means faster response when activating Shazam to identify the current song.

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