wiretapping
n. uncountable C1 Advanced US //ˈwaɪɝˌtæpɪŋ// UK //wˈaɪətæpɪŋ// wire·tap·ping
n. the act of listening to or recording a phone call without the person's permission. It is often done by the police or spies to find information.
n. the practice of secretly listening to or recording a telephone conversation without the knowledge of the participants. Often involves the physical tapping of a line or the use of electronic surveillance.
The police used wiretapping to find the criminal's location.
The investigation relied heavily on wiretapping to gather evidence against the suspect's associates.
Legal scholars debated the constitutionality of the wiretapping, arguing that the government had failed to obtain a warrant before intercepting the private communications.