Eavesdropping

Eavesdropping (TV: The Evil of the Daleks (episode 3) ^[+]Loading...{"ep":"3","1":"The Evil of the Daleks (TV story)"}, et al.) was also known as (PROSE: Blue Box ^[+]Loading...{"precisecite":"Chapters: 50 Three, 65 One","1":"Blue Box (novel)"}) listening in. (TV: Day of the Moon ^[+]Loading...["Day of the Moon (TV story)"], et al.) The concept was often used to describe acts of listening to a conversation one isn't a part of, often without the participants' knowledge. (TV: Day of the Moon ^[+]Loading...["Day of the Moon (TV story)"], Flatline ^[+]Loading...["Flatline (TV story)"], PROSE: Room for Improvement ^[+]Loading...["Room for Improvement (short story)"], et al.)

Listening in was a way to gather information and was often done on purpose, (PROSE: Room for Improvement ^[+]Loading...["Room for Improvement (short story)"], Conspiracy-1263 and the Christmas Conspiracy ^[+]Loading...{"precisecite":"Part 6","1":"Conspiracy-1263 and the Christmas Conspiracy (short story)"}, et al.), but not always: for example, Sam Jones mentally described her hearing random snippets of conversations in a marketplace, and being able to understand them due to the TARDIS's translation circuit, as eavesdropping. (PROSE: The Scarlet Empress ^[+]Loading...{"chaptname":"Does Travel Make You Happy, Ms Jones?","chaptnum":"1","1":"The Scarlet Empress (novel)"})

Perception and reactions

People would sometimes modify their behaviour if they believed that someone was listening in. Zephon accused Mavic Chen of trying to behave like a "model" delegate because Chen was afraid of the Daleks eavesdropping on their conversation. (TV: "Day of Armageddon" ^[+]Part of The Daleks' Master Plan, Loading...{"namedep":"Day of Armageddon (2)","1":"The Daleks' Master Plan (TV story)"}) Likewise, a transcript of a conversation between an L.T.E. and a Space Lord of Fractallax showed the former being hesitant to mention — or even imply the existence of — an agreement between L.T.E.s and Hyperspace Tyrants, even though the latter assured them that the communications channel was secure. (PROSE: Love & War ^[+]Loading...["Love & War (short story)"]) When Miranda Cleaves sent a codeword to a captain in order to safely coordinate her and her coworkers' rescue from their Gangers, whom she believed to be "running amok", she typed the codeword instead of speaking it out loud in case the Gangers were listening in. (TV: The Rebel Flesh ^[+]Loading...["The Rebel Flesh (TV story)"])

According to the Sixth Doctor, it was extremely rude to eavesdrop on other people's phone conversations. (PROSE: Blue Box ^[+]Loading...{"chapter":"20 Two","1":"Blue Box (novel)"}) Amy Pond thought that Rory should not have been using her nano-recorder to listen to a conversation she had been having with the Eleventh Doctor. (TV: Day of the Moon ^[+]Loading...["Day of the Moon (TV story)"])

Practicalities

People could use various different tools to eavesdrop. Yvonne Hartman eavesdropped on Torchwood Three from the holding cells below using a fireworm. (AUDIO: Poker Face ^[+]Loading...["Poker Face (audio story)"]) Bob Salmon used a wiretap to listen in on Sarah Swan's phone conversations. (This kind of eavesdropping was also known as wiretapping.) (PROSE: Blue Box ^[+]Loading...{"chapt":"50 Two","1":"Blue Box (novel)"}) Often, though, no specialised tools were required: all one had to do was to nonchalantly approach someone without drawing their attention. (PROSE: The Janus Conjunction ^[+]Loading...{"chaptname":"Escape to...","chaptnum":"3","1":"The Janus Conjunction (novel)"}, Room for Improvement ^[+]Loading...["Room for Improvement (short story)"], et al.)