Alphabet's cyber unit Jigsaw introduces a new security app to bust censorship • Hacker News Board

Re: Alphabet's cyber unit Jigsaw introduces a new security app to bust censorship

#21

Post by Boulth » Wed, Oct 03, 2018, 2:35 PM UTC

LethargicStud wrote: post #17

Can someone explain why a government couldn't block the IP of this service? Whether it's a VPN or just dns over https, it seems the servers wouldn't have infinite dynamic ips and could therefore be blocked.

Yes you're right. That app is just dns over HTTPS for older Android phones. With all its caveats.

Re: Alphabet's cyber unit Jigsaw introduces a new security app to bust censorship

#22

Post by Boulth » Wed, Oct 03, 2018, 2:36 PM UTC

Belphemur wrote: post #11

Boulth wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Also, if you're looking for a DoH server that block adverts, here is mine: > https://dns.aaflalo.me/dns-query Great! I've been looking for something like this for a long time. Is the source code open? Not that I don't trust you with my DNS queries but...

I've written the step I used to do the DoH part. https://www.aaflalo.me/2018/10/tutorial-setup-dns-over-https... Still need to document the PiHole part. I've also disable all logging for Nginx and Pihole. The server is also listed on https://dnscrypt.info/public-servers Also, if you're in the American Continent, you might want to use the proxy I setup on Google Cloud Platform: https://dns-gcp.aaflalo.me/dns-query

Very cool, thanks a lot I'll be definitely using your guide.

Re: Alphabet's cyber unit Jigsaw introduces a new security app to bust censorship

#23

Post by malvosenior » Wed, Oct 03, 2018, 2:40 PM UTC

philip1209 wrote: post #19

These dual standards for censorship annoy me. Google on Venezuelan censoring: bad, fight it Google on Chinese censoring: complicit, support it

Google on Google censorship: ship it!

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2018/03/2...

Re: Alphabet's cyber unit Jigsaw introduces a new security app to bust censorship

#24

Post by notyourday » Wed, Oct 03, 2018, 2:40 PM UTC

philip1209 wrote: post #19

These dual standards for censorship annoy me. Google on Venezuelan censoring: bad, fight it Google on Chinese censoring: complicit, support it

You see, Venezuelans dont have enough money for Google to extract.

Re: Alphabet's cyber unit Jigsaw introduces a new security app to bust censorship

#25

Post by thecatspaw » Wed, Oct 03, 2018, 2:40 PM UTC

elbracitosNIR wrote: post #20

21 wrote: post #12

This is richly ironic. I had to check that this was not an article from The Onion. Will this tool bypass the censored Google that will be introduced in China? More likely it will automatically report the user to the Chinese government if used in China.

Could you please stop talking bad about Google? It’s against the site guidelines [1]. [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

Ctrl F: "google" -> 0 results

Re: Alphabet's cyber unit Jigsaw introduces a new security app to bust censorship

#26

Post by [deleted] » Wed, Oct 03, 2018, 2:41 PM UTC

[deleted]

Re: Alphabet's cyber unit Jigsaw introduces a new security app to bust censorship

#27

Post by Shivetya » Wed, Oct 03, 2018, 2:41 PM UTC

philip1209 wrote: post #19

These dual standards for censorship annoy me. Google on Venezuelan censoring: bad, fight it Google on Chinese censoring: complicit, support it

Google isn't the only big tech company to cave to China's demands

Re: Alphabet's cyber unit Jigsaw introduces a new security app to bust censorship

#28

Post by fstonemeyer » Wed, Oct 03, 2018, 2:42 PM UTC

This is the same division of Google that came up with an AI to determine if a comment is "toxic": https://jigsaw.google.com/projects/#perspective

Re: Alphabet's cyber unit Jigsaw introduces a new security app to bust censorship

#29

Post by bun_at_work » Wed, Oct 03, 2018, 2:42 PM UTC

philip1209 wrote: post #19

These dual standards for censorship annoy me. Google on Venezuelan censoring: bad, fight it Google on Chinese censoring: complicit, support it

Just a few things:

1) This tool is made by an Alphabet owned company (Jigsaw), not Google, another Alphabet owned company. The companies will have different missions, even if profits flow the same direction.

2) Venezuela doesn't have a huge market where Google is blocked by a nation-wide firewall.

3) China has a nation-wide firewall blocking any Google service, thereby forcing Google to negotiate how their service works if they want to make money there.

Note: Oversimplifying the situation for the sake of pitchforking a company you might not like does no one any good. Venezuela and China are very different companies, in very different environments. Google as a company (and Alphabet, probably more so) is almost certainly anti-censorship, philosophically; they just don't operate in a vacuum.

Re: Alphabet's cyber unit Jigsaw introduces a new security app to bust censorship

#30

Post by sharcerer » Wed, Oct 03, 2018, 2:44 PM UTC

jerkstate wrote: post #14

Given Google's track record of working with oppressive governments, why would anyone rational trust them with this kind of sensitive information?

I think Jigsaw has a good record of making tools which work for the oppressed sections or in areas of cybersecurity/censorship etc. Good work must be appreciated. I don't think any other Big Co. has a division dedicated to solving such specific problems. Yeah, the China bit is really saddening/irritating. They're gonna crush their own legacy.