▁homes , ▁offices , ▁and ▁vehicles ▁of ▁thousands ▁of ▁U . S . ▁citizens , ▁usually ▁political ▁activ ists , ▁sub vers ives , ▁and ▁crim inals . ▁ ▁Law ▁enfor cement ▁and ▁intelligence ▁services ▁in ▁the ▁U . K . ▁and ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁possess ▁technology ▁to ▁rem ot ely ▁activ ate ▁the ▁micro ph ones ▁in ▁cell ▁ph ones , ▁by ▁accessing ▁the ▁phone ' s ▁di agnostic / main ten ance ▁features , ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁listen ▁to ▁convers ations ▁that ▁take ▁place ▁nearby ▁the ▁person ▁who ▁holds ▁the ▁phone . ▁ ▁Post al ▁services ▁As ▁more ▁people ▁use ▁f ax es ▁and ▁e - mail ▁the ▁significance ▁of ▁surve illing ▁the ▁postal ▁system ▁is ▁decre asing , ▁in ▁favor ▁of ▁Internet ▁and ▁tele phone ▁surve ill ance . ▁But ▁inter ception ▁of ▁post ▁is ▁still ▁an ▁available ▁option ▁for ▁law ▁enfor cement ▁and ▁intelligence ▁ag encies , ▁in ▁certain ▁circumstances . ▁This ▁is ▁not ▁a ▁common ▁practice , ▁however , ▁and ▁entities ▁like ▁the ▁US ▁Army ▁require ▁high ▁levels ▁of ▁appro val ▁to ▁conduct . ▁ ▁The ▁U . S . ▁Central ▁Int elligence ▁Agency ▁and ▁Federal ▁Bureau ▁of ▁Investig ation ▁have ▁performed ▁twelve ▁separate ▁mail - open ing ▁campaign s ▁target ed ▁towards ▁U . S . ▁citizens . ▁In ▁one ▁of ▁these ▁programs , ▁more ▁than ▁ 2 1 5 , 0 0 0 ▁communic ations ▁were ▁intercept ed , ▁opened , ▁and ▁photograph ed . ▁ ▁St ake out ▁ ▁A ▁st ake out ▁is ▁the