What is wiretapping?

Question

I looked it up and it said it was to listen in on other peoples conversations, but I not sure its right. It is for my ammendment sheet that I had for homework and I finished the whole entire thing , but this question and when I answered it I just wanted to make sure if I was right or wrong and if i am wrong what is the right answer.

Answer 1

The simple answer you listed in your question is basically correct, but technically misses the truly accurate answer.
Wiretapping is listening in on the conversation of another by "tapping" into the telephone wire leading to someones hard wired telephone. That is illegal unless it is done with a court order signed by a judge.
Today, many phone conversations are carried by radio signals and therefore may be intercepted by other means than wiretapping.
There has been, and is, an ongoing debate as to how the old wiretapping laws should be applied to current communication methods. The old laws no longer apply in a literal sense.
The debate, as applied with today's modern communication technologies, is about the principles of the old laws and how to apply them now. Since anyone can pick up any radio signal with the correct equipment, such communications are no longer truly private.
This issue is complicated and from a legal viewpoint, the issue is not yet settled.

Answer 2

It is when somebody (usually the government) hacks into your telephone line and listens to and possibly records your conversations without your consent.

Answer 3

"but this question and when I answered it I just wanted to make sure if I was right or wrong and if i am wrong what is the right answer."

... I totally lost you here ... ummm, huh?

Answer 4

What Is Wire Tapping

Answer 5

it is a definite perversion of the 4th amendment