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This whole Facebook thing has me really 'doubling down,' to use Tim's phrase, on my privacy online. Am I willing to sacrifice ease of use for privacy? I was two weeks ago. Now? I'm not so sure.

Suffering through ProtonMail (it's good, but it's no Gmail), DuckDuckGo, Ghostery, and meticulously staying on top of which apps have permissions for what.

I’ve done the exact same thing. I’ve always been wary of Facebook, I’ve had this bad gut feeling about it from the beginning. Now with all this news cropping up, I’ve changed my search to DuckDuckGo, turned some settings off in privacy on my iPhone, deleted Chrome, and am not tuning of switching from Gmail to something else.
 
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I can be quite clear on this. Agencies such as the FBI, et al SHOULD NOT have backdoor access to encrypted electronic devices; in many respects they are the problem and cannot be trusted.

To be sure, there will be instances when most everyone will wish that government did have such access, and in the moment it will make perfect sense. But in the greater scheme of things we will all be better off if in this world there are some realms where private means exactly that.
 
If the US government were able to crack the phones of 9-11 terrorists 3000 Americans might still be walking around, their families wouldn't be heart-broken and the USA and the rest of the world would be a happier, safer place. But Apple profits against world security is a difficult choice.
 
If the US government were able to crack the phones of 9-11 terrorists 3000 Americans might still be walking around, their families wouldn't be heart-broken and the USA and the rest of the world would be a happier, safer place. But Apple profits against world security is a difficult choice.

The same could be said of another organization...
 
If the US government were able to crack the phones of 9-11 terrorists 3000 Americans might still be walking around, their families wouldn't be heart-broken and the USA and the rest of the world would be a happier, safer place. But Apple profits against world security is a difficult choice.
The Quote by Benjamin Franklin seems apt here: “they who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.”
 
Why is everyone so stupid?

If this ever happens I’m going off grid. Thick as two short planks.

Or I'll be stuck using the iPhone X (+ however many updates between now and then) until it stops working.

I don't have anything to hide, but it is no one's business anyway. The 1st, 2nd, 4th (not to mention the 9th, 10th and the rest) Amendments to the Constitution aren't something to compromise away. And for other countries, look at them all wanting access to their citizens lives for "safety".

IF it ever were to happen, one would expect someone to start a company in Country Y that allows them to build secure phones or software. The authoritarians would then have to show their true colors by banning the import of the phones, but it hasn't stopped the socialists, communists, fascists, and other totalitarians from trying to impose their will on the rest of us.

A prison can be perfectly safe if you are in solitary confinement and/or there is a guard per prisoner, but no sane person wants to live in a prison or any other totalitarian state, no matter how safe.



The FBI and the Feds have done such a bang up job with background checks for gun purchases that I am sure they'll be competent in keeping secret the code for the back door to the "hard drive". Not to mention the Feds did such a wonderful job keeping Snowden from leaking, keeping the Shadow Brokers leaks hidden and all the other NSA tools that were leaked. / sarcasm. (Not to mention how well the war on drugs that the Feds have been so gung ho about for decades has worked so well.)

They are incompetent and we are supposed to believe that they should be entrusted with the secrets of the WORLD? And if the US Government has it, would China, the UK, Australia, Russia, France, Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Venezuela, Mexico, Argentina etc all demand access? If Apple failed to provide it to them, why not? And then you'd have to trust the organizations in all these countries with the secrets.

Whether you are a Trump or Hillary supporter, would you want the other's FBI, NSA, CIA to have access to the code to your phone? Would you trust their FBI, NSA, CIA not to abuse it? Would you want Maduro in Venezuela? NK? SK? China? Canada?


Makes me think of this:

You and I are told we must choose between a left or right, but I suggest there is no such thing as a left or right. There is only an up or down. Up to man’s age-old dream — the maximum of individual freedom consistent with order — or down to the ant heap of totalitarianism. Regardless of their sincerity, their humanitarian motives, those who would sacrifice freedom for security have embarked on this downward path. Plutarch warned, ‘The real destroyer of the liberties of the people is he who spreads among them bounties, donations, and benefits.’
 
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Once a back door is built, it will be used by anyone for any purpose - except to keep our info secure.
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If the US government were able to crack the phones of 9-11 terrorists 3000 Americans might still be walking around, their families wouldn't be heart-broken and the USA and the rest of the world would be a happier, safer place. But Apple profits against world security is a difficult choice.
Silly. The government was tracking those terrorists, but the different alphabets were not coordinated and information was not shared. Had its been, the big picture would have been available.
 
If the US government were able to crack the phones of 9-11 terrorists 3000 Americans might still be walking around, their families wouldn't be heart-broken and the USA and the rest of the world would be a happier, safer place. But Apple profits against world security is a difficult choice.
Says someone from the UK. You stay there where your rights are Subject to the approval of your government. We will stay here where our government exists because we choose to allow it to and only give it the authority it needs to serve.
[doublepost=1522101034][/doublepost]
The Quote by Benjamin Franklin seems apt here: “they who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.”
Unfortunately most people are willing to bargain away the particular rights that they don’t personally value in exchange for that “safety.” Then when the same is done to them by others, it’s a crisis.
 
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Apple should do it. Put a backdoor in and count the minutes til the exploit starts making the rounds. Then 2 years later watch the big $%^ hit the fan when all the Feds phones turn out to have been compromised the entire time and 100% of white house correspondence is made public by Russian wikileakers.

Then we can all learn the value of security together.
 
Except it won't be a backdoor for the FBI etc. it'll mean iPhones world wide will have the security vulnerability. I just love how there seems to be no thought to the ramifications. My data and my privacy - sod off!
 
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I am sure that whatever system the government comes up with will be highly secure and will only be accessible by the government.
With this in mind, I feel the government should apply this new technology to all the government secret, top-secret and ultra top secret files and devices.
Since only the government will be able to access this back door these documents and devices will be completely safe from foreign intelligence services.
Only after the system has been in place for five years on the government documents should it be implemented in on private citizens devices.
If the government does not feel that their own documents should be secured by this new technology then they should fight to prevent it from being applied to the citizens that they represent.
 
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If the US government were able to crack the phones of 9-11 terrorists 3000 Americans might still be walking around, their families wouldn't be heart-broken and the USA and the rest of the world would be a happier, safer place. But Apple profits against world security is a difficult choice.

And the false narrative begins.
The 9/11 attacks predate the smartphone era.
 
If the US government were able to crack the phones of 9-11 terrorists 3000 Americans might still be walking around, their families wouldn't be heart-broken and the USA and the rest of the world would be a happier, safer place. But Apple profits against world security is a difficult choice.

And you have facts to support this or just a hunch on your part?

The silliest part of your post is that the most advanced phone in 2001 was a Nokia that weighed half a pound. No hacking required.
 
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Remember all the NSA and other government officials who were fired and jailed for allowing "Shadow Brokers" to steal then auction off the NSA's "cyber arsenal" of hacking tools? Yeah, me neither. If the NSA, arguably the most technologically advanced intelligence agency in the world, can't keeps its own cyber weapons out of the hands hackers, why would any sane person trust them with a master key to every Apple device in the world?

https://securityaffairs.co/wordpress/54432/hacking/shadow-brokers-direct-sale.html
[doublepost=1522124742][/doublepost]I used to have high respect for the FBI until I started reading about their history of willful incompetence (or corruption??) while they were under the leadership of Louis Freeh (1993-2001) & Robert Mueller (2001 - 2012). Shoddy / tainted lab work (favoring the prosecution) was rampant in the FBI forensics lab as was the suppression of exculpatory evidence. They can beg Apple all they want for a backdoor but I don't trust them after learning how many people have been prosecuted with tainted evidence from the FBI lab scandals.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/loca...243a40ddc97_story.html?utm_term=.35ff470c5dc3

https://www.whistleblowersblog.org/...ustice/dr-whitehurst-and-the-fbi-lab-scandal/
 
If the US government were able to crack the phones of 9-11 terrorists 3000 Americans might still be walking around, their families wouldn't be heart-broken and the USA and the rest of the world would be a happier, safer place. But Apple profits against world security is a difficult choice.


Delete comment
 
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The Quote by Benjamin Franklin seems apt here: “they who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.”

That was then, this is now.

Besides, its good at least the FBI doesn't give up :p Why doesn't Android get this much press, probably because Google accepts it.

"One method under discussion involves a special access key that would be generated when a device encrypts itself, allowing data to be unlocked without a user's passcode. The key would be stored on the device itself, in a part of the hard drive that would be encrypted separately. Only the device manufacturer, with a court order, would be able to access it."

I don't think Apple users would like that one bit.
 
If the US government were able to crack the phones of 9-11 terrorists 3000 Americans might still be walking around, their families wouldn't be heart-broken and the USA and the rest of the world would be a happier, safer place. But Apple profits against world security is a difficult choice.
In my view 9-11 was an inside job because there are too many questions that cannot be answered by the official version. Including the revelation admitted by president bush himself that flight 93 was shot down by US Air Force. So therefore if they lied about this then what else have they lied about? Plus as upsetting as it was there can be no reason to destroy people’s privacy just to save some people’s lives. If you weaken security you harm far more people than you help.
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I am sure that whatever system the government comes up with will be highly secure and will only be accessible by the government.
With this in mind, I feel the government should apply this new technology to all the government secret, top-secret and ultra top secret files and devices.
Since only the government will be able to access this back door these documents and devices will be completely safe from foreign intelligence services.
Only after the system has been in place for five years on the government documents should it be implemented in on private citizens devices.
If the government does not feel that their own documents should be secured by this new technology then they should fight to prevent it from being applied to the citizens that they represent.
The government is not that competent. Also with Trump apparently being so pro Russia he would hand over the keys to Putin as soon as possible. Plus there is NO way to create security that is weak (so government can access it) but secure enough to stop hackers. A back door is a back door for everyone
[doublepost=1522143353][/doublepost]
Says someone from the UK. You stay there where your rights are Subject to the approval of your government. We will stay here where our government exists because we choose to allow it to and only give it the authority it needs to serve.
[doublepost=1522101034][/doublepost]
Unfortunately most people are willing to bargain away the particular rights that they don’t personally value in exchange for that “safety.” Then when the same is done to them by others, it’s a crisis.
Except that the US government exists in one form or another no matter what the voters do. Time after time so many presidents and administrations are found to be serve themselves and only themselves. After all a politician is a politician no matter what country you live in. Look at how many US politicians are in the pockets of the gun lobby or the power lobby or all the other lobbies. In fact it is a truth that it is the lobbies who run America not the voters.
 
That was then, this is now.

Besides, its good at least the FBI doesn't give up :p Why doesn't Android get this much press, probably because Google accepts it.

"One method under discussion involves a special access key that would be generated when a device encrypts itself, allowing data to be unlocked without a user's passcode. The key would be stored on the device itself, in a part of the hard drive that would be encrypted separately. Only the device manufacturer, with a court order, would be able to access it."

I don't think Apple users would like that one bit.
It’s as apt as ever hundreds of years later.
 
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That was then, this is now.

...

And it is even more applicable now. Totalitarians and authoritarians of all stripes - socialists, fascists, communists, dictators - all want people to give up liberty for “safety” and as Stalin said there are plenty of useful idiots out there to support them.

The evil, immoral authoritarians will always seek their own rewards at the expense of regular people. There are myriad examples world wide and throughout history.
 
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I support the FBI and fully understand why they want the tools necessary to easily access a locked iPhone. At the same time, I love Apple products partially because of the walled garden and enhanced security. Privacy is important to people.

I think we need to find a balanced approach. There has to be a good compromise.

Those who flatly oppose it, just think about it for a minute. What if your daughter or son was kidnapped and the FBI had the phone, which may contain details on where they are located, but cannot access it. Would you want them to gain access and save your kids?

Of course you would...

You would not sit there talking about privacy. You'd be guessing that damn passwords for 14 hours a day -- as you should. Anyone would, I think.

On the other hand, do you want some hacker to exploit the backdoor or whatever means Apple creates? Probably not... that's not good for you and your privacy. So there has to be some compromise.
 
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