Can the government/telephone companies listen to the microphones in any telephone?

Question

question /\

I am talking about a non-bugged phone, when you are not calling.

Elaborate please or your answer is useless to me.

As for cell phones, can they still be listened to when they are turned off? If yes (probably because the phone is running in a standby mode, or even a second battery), can they do it with all cell phones even when they are turned off (old ones too), and is there a device that can block the telephone signal?

Thanks

It occured to me while watching a movie called The Listening, in which there is a system called Tumbleweed with which they can do this.

Answer 1

A cell phone can be rigged to transmit when it's not in use.  It can look like it's off, with no display or other external sign that it's transmitting.  However, the battery will give it away.  It will always seem to need charging since the transmitter is on so much.  If you remove the battery, the cell can't transmit.  There isn't room for a second battery inside and even if there were it wouldn't have enough capacity to listen for any length of time.  

A landline phone can be rigged also.  Not bugged as such, but wired so the mic can be hot when it's still on hook.  This isn't very effective as the conversations have to be fairly close to the phone.  If they're at any distance the other noises in a house or where ever the phone is will mask the voices.  

Don't worry about what you see in movies too much.  A lot of it just isn't possible even with todays technology.    

Answer 2

NO!!! not unless you modify the phone.

the switch hook isolates the handset from the phone line when the phone is on-hook. If it is connected, the line impediance would be out of spec and you would hear the receiver buzz when the phone rings.