Snap Employees Have Used Internal Snapchat Tools to Spy on Users

[Kabeyun]

"Use iOS" why? if you take all those measures what differenes does the OS make?

Because iOS is produced by a company that takes your privacy most seriously and credibly. This is a dispassionate fact, whether or not you dislike Apple for other reasons. Don’t bother with counterexamples (if actually accurate in both fact and context) because the alternative is Android by Google — the company whose stated mission it is to gather all the world’s information — or whatever a phone manufacturer has been allowed to turn it into.

 

[dogslobber]

What is snapshat and where do I sign up?

 

[WatchFromAfar]

Because iOS is produced by a company that takes your privacy most seriously and credibly. This is a dispassionate fact, whether or not you dislike Apple for other reasons. Don’t bother with counterexamples (if actually accurate in both fact and context) because the alternative is Android by Google — the company whose stated mission it is to gather all the world’s information — or whatever a phone manufacturer has been allowed to turn it into.

Because you are going through a bunch of over stuff to maintain your privacy; at that point job done; you could have arrived at this point regardless over using iOS, macOS, Windows, Linux etc

Counter point: What's wrong with a company wanting to "gather all the world’s information" it's all out there to be gathered isn't it?

 

[Kabeyun]

Because you are going through a bunch of over stuff to maintain your privacy; at that point job done; you could have arrived at this point regardless over using iOS, macOS, Windows, Linux etc

That other stuff predominantly covers connectivity and app behavior. How about the OS itself?

Counter point: What's wrong with a company wanting to "gather all the world’s information" it's all out there to be gathered isn't it?

Congratulations, you’ve hit upon the only counterargument to caring about privacy: not giving a crap about privacy. Where you’ve been all day; the name, photo, and address of whoever you’re dating; your medical profile; lists of friends and their spending habits; who you frequently contact; who you frequently blow off; your social security number; take it all. If you’re fine with that and more, I doubt there’s any convincing you otherwise.

 

[WatchFromAfar]

That other stuff predominantly covers connectivity and app behavior. How about the OS itself?


Congratulations, you’ve hit upon the only counterargument to caring about privacy: not giving a crap about privacy. Where you’ve been all day; the name, photo, and address of whoever you’re dating; your medical profile; lists of friends and their spending habits; who you frequently contact; who you frequently blow off; your social security number; take it all. If you’re fine with that and more, I doubt there’s any convincing you otherwise.

Jesus "who you frequently blow off", OK if you care about privacy don't put it on the internet; nobody is forcing you, but it's easier i guess

 

[CarlJ]

Tell that to all the celebrities who had their private nude photos shared on Apple's unintended iCloud social network.

Why won't people on this forum let this lie die? Those photos were obtained through social engineering and/or guessing bad passwords or answers to security questions.

There is a world of difference between "company having bad software or practices leading to data breach" and "users using bad passwords". Let it go. Stop regurgitating the lie as if it were a valid data point.

 

[Kabeyun]

Why won't people on this forum let this lie die? Those photos were obtained through social engineering and/or guessing bad passwords or answers to security questions.

There is a world of difference between "company having bad software or practices leading to data breach" and "users using bad passwords". Let it go. Stop regurgitating the lie as if it were a valid data point.

Ignorance and bias probably account for 80% of human behavior.

 

[2984839]

This is why not caring about backdoors (whether voluntary or government mandated) is stupid. They are always abused.

 

[k1121j]

Tell that to all the celebrities who had their private nude photos shared on Apple's unintended iCloud social network. At least with Snapchat, Facebook, etc. people knew going in that they're social networks so refrained from storing any incriminating private photos.

You must be one of those people who believe everything they read on facebook

 

[fairuz]

I see from your signature you have an iPhone; you do know it's listening to you 24/7 (Apple's point of view) because you might say "hey siri"

This is all local though, right? I.e. not sending audio to servers like Amazon does.
[doublepost=1558754566][/doublepost]

Why won't people on this forum let this lie die? Those photos were obtained through social engineering and/or guessing bad passwords or answers to security questions.

There is a world of difference between "company having bad software or practices leading to data breach" and "users using bad passwords". Let it go. Stop regurgitating the lie as if it were a valid data point.

It's Apple's job to make sure most people keep their stuff safe. This includes requiring 2FA when sensitive info like photos are being stored or at least warning users of the danger of not using it, plus warning users of suspicious sign-ins. IMO they didn't do a good enough job there. They've improved the user-interfacing aspects of their security a lot since then, and now I think their system has gone from sub-par to one of the best.

Most people aren't techies who know about password complexity and are aware of the dangers of reusing passwords. Similarly, when breaches like this occur, most people don't know who to blame other than Apple. "How tf could someone brute-force my password that is fas245kfjw?"

 

[ipponrg]

Because iOS is produced by a company that takes your privacy most seriously and credibly. This is a dispassionate fact, whether or not you dislike Apple for other reasons. Don’t bother with counterexamples (if actually accurate in both fact and context) because the alternative is Android by Google — the company whose stated mission it is to gather all the world’s information — or whatever a phone manufacturer has been allowed to turn it into.

iOS is also produced by the same company that sets Google as the default search engine on the phone because Google paid them for it.

Apple definitely takes your privacy "most seriously and credibly".

 

[Kabeyun]

iOS is also produced by the same company that sets Google as the default search engine on the phone because Google paid them for it.

Apple definitely takes your privacy "most seriously and credibly".

Ah yes. The logic fallacy of trying to undo an entire argument by finding one single quasi-exception. It’s a form of whataboutism and a common mistake. As if by pointing out that since presently Safari uses Google searches by configurable default, suddenly everything else is undone and somehow Samsung takes privacy more seriously than Apple. Oops, not Samsung. I meant Xiaomi. Sorry, not Xiaomi. I meant Huawei. Whoops, not Huawei. Then who did you have in mind? Please share.

 

[ipponrg]

Ah yes. The logic fallacy of trying to undo an entire argument by finding one single quasi-exception. It’s a form of whataboutism and a common mistake. As if by pointing out that since presently Safari uses Google searches by configurable default, suddenly everything else is undone and somehow Samsung takes private more seriously than Apple. Oops, not Samsung. I meant Xiaomi. Sorry, not Xiaomi. I meant Huawei. Whoops, not Huawei. Then who did you have in mind? Please share.

It’s actually called irony.

Please do continue to preach that Apple considers security and privacy seriously

 

[Kabeyun]

It’s actually called irony.

Please do continue to preach that Apple considers security and privacy seriously

Ah, now we’ve devolved from logic to simple reading. So here’s my statement again with emphasis added to help:

“Because iOS is produced by a company that takes your privacy most seriously and credibly.”

Do you have a better suggestion or not? It’s really not a hard question to understand, right? Do you or don’t you have for us a company that demonstrably takes privacy and security more seriously than Apple? If you do, feel free to post it and defend your choice, bearing in mind that more potshots against Apple are not an answer to my question. An answer to my question will include the name of a personal electronics company. You’ve heard the phrase, “Put up or shut up”? It means respond or stop making noise. If you don’t give us a name, you obviously have no answer, meaning you concede the point.

 

[Tiger8]

Privacy is a myth on the net. I tell people never send anything (message or picture ) that you can't explain to your mom and/or to a cop.

 

[ipponrg]

Privacy is a myth on the net. I tell people never send anything (message or picture ) that you can't explain to your mom and/or to a cop.

It’s pretty funny when someone uses iOS for security but has 3rd party apps including social media installed.

Quite a conundrum

 

[ROGmaster]

That was not a breach of Apple's security. The accounts were breached because the users used easy to crack passwords.

It was possible because icloud was vulnerable to brute force attacks at that time.
Users don't normally try hundreds(or thousands) of different password variants in a very short amount of time.

 

[FFR]

It was possible because icloud was vulnerable to brute force attacks at that time.
Users don't normally try hundreds(or thousands) of different password variants in a very short amount of time.

Don’t forget google was just as vulnerable during those attacks.

 

[Crowbot]

It was possible because icloud was vulnerable to brute force attacks at that time.
Users don't normally try hundreds(or thousands) of different password variants in a very short amount of time.

Like most systems at the time, there apparently wasn't a limit on logins. But I don't believe this was an issue here. If I'm famous and I have a cat named Fluffles I wouldn't use it as a password. Anyway, we have 2FA now and I feel much safer.

 

[realtuner]

Tell that to all the celebrities who had their private nude photos shared on Apple's unintended iCloud social network. At least with Snapchat, Facebook, etc. people knew going in that they're social networks so refrained from storing any incriminating private photos.

It was possible because icloud was vulnerable to brute force attacks at that time.
Users don't normally try hundreds(or thousands) of different password variants in a very short amount of time.

100% false. Amazing people still believe this FUD after multiple FBI investigations which uncovered exactly how it happened. Or the fact that celebrities also had pictures taken from their Google accounts via the same individuals.

iCloud has never been hacked or brute forced. It was all done through social engineering (phishing emails, guessing answers to security questions and so on).
[doublepost=1558964742][/doublepost]

Don’t forget google was just as vulnerable during those attacks.

That’s just one person. Ryan Collins of Pennsylvania, Emilio Herrera of Chicago and George Garofano of Connecticut were also charged and plead guilty.

They all used phishing schemes to gain access to iCloud and Google accounts.

 

[FFR]

100% false. Amazing people still believe this FUD after multiple FBI investigations which uncovered exactly how it happened. Or the fact that celebrities also had pictures taken from their Google accounts via the same individuals.

iCloud has never been hacked or brute forced. It was all done through social engineering (phishing emails, guessing answers to security questions and so on).
[doublepost=1558964742][/doublepost]

That’s just one person. Ryan Collins of Pennsylvania, Emilio Herrera of Chicago and George Garofano of Connecticut were also charged and plead guilty.

They all used phishing schemes to gain access to iCloud and Google accounts.

Yes both iCloud and google were both compromised with phishing schemes.

Nothing to do with being hacked like some posters seem to be pushing.

 

[macapplekid]

I think that the MacRumors forums qualify as social media.

yes

 

[WinstonRumfoord]

None of these ‘voluntary followers’ with social media accounts expect their privacy to be infiltrated without them knowing. It Has nothing to do with who decides to support what type of social media, it has everything to do with these Social media companies having ulterior motive’s.

Their motives are not ulterior, they are simply PROFIT. And users download these apps for free. Caveat emptor, or in the case of a FREE app, TANSTAAFL.