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Huawei Technicians Helped African Governments Spy on Political Opponents

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Re: Huawei Technicians Helped African Governments Spy on Political Opponents

#3
>A pop star turned political sensation, Bobi Wine, had returned from Washington with U.S. backing for his opposition movement, and Uganda’s cyber-surveillance unit had strict orders to intercept his encrypted communications, using the broad powers of a 2010 law that gives the government the ability “to secure its multidimensional interests.”

I suspect that most countries would try to intercept the communications of an opposition candidate that was openly backed by a foreign power.

Re: Huawei Technicians Helped African Governments Spy on Political Opponents

#4

>A pop star turned political sensation, Bobi Wine, had returned from Washington with U.S. backing for his opposition movement, and Uganda’s cyber-surveillance unit had strict orders to intercept his encrypted communications, using the broad powers of a 2010 law that gives the government the ability “to secure its multidimensional interests.” I suspect that most countries would try to intercept the communications of a…

The assumption of the author and many people or even majority is that backing by USA is not only legitimate, it's also morally superior.

Re: Huawei Technicians Helped African Governments Spy on Political Opponents

#5

>A pop star turned political sensation, Bobi Wine, had returned from Washington with U.S. backing for his opposition movement, and Uganda’s cyber-surveillance unit had strict orders to intercept his encrypted communications, using the broad powers of a 2010 law that gives the government the ability “to secure its multidimensional interests.” I suspect that most countries would try to intercept the communications of a…

The assumption of the author and many people or even majority is that backing by USA is not only legitimate, it's also morally superior.

Well the US is good. All other governments are suspect.

Re: Huawei Technicians Helped African Governments Spy on Political Opponents

#6

>A pop star turned political sensation, Bobi Wine, had returned from Washington with U.S. backing for his opposition movement, and Uganda’s cyber-surveillance unit had strict orders to intercept his encrypted communications, using the broad powers of a 2010 law that gives the government the ability “to secure its multidimensional interests.” I suspect that most countries would try to intercept the communications of a…

The assumption of the author and many people or even majority is that backing by USA is not only legitimate, it's also morally superior.

The obvious ethical territory here isn't particularly difficult: deploring both the US action (in this case political interference) and the Huawei/CCP interference (political interference via an attack on civil liberties).

Commentators who are only interested in critiquing rival states ought to be viewed as discrediting themselves.

Re: Huawei Technicians Helped African Governments Spy on Political Opponents

#7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The assumption of the author and many people or even majority is that backing by USA is not only legitimate, it's also morally superior.

Well the US is good. All other governments are suspect.

Yes the bugs are bad, would you like to hear more?

Re: Huawei Technicians Helped African Governments Spy on Political Opponents

#8

>A pop star turned political sensation, Bobi Wine, had returned from Washington with U.S. backing for his opposition movement, and Uganda’s cyber-surveillance unit had strict orders to intercept his encrypted communications, using the broad powers of a 2010 law that gives the government the ability “to secure its multidimensional interests.” I suspect that most countries would try to intercept the communications of a…

You realize you're defending a government that illegally shot and attacked the person in question and then arrested and tortured him, right? After which he was released and fled back to the US for medical treatment.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Kyagulanyi_Ssentamu#Arr...

Re: Huawei Technicians Helped African Governments Spy on Political Opponents

#9
post #8

>A pop star turned political sensation, Bobi Wine, had returned from Washington with U.S. backing for his opposition movement, and Uganda’s cyber-surveillance unit had strict orders to intercept his encrypted communications, using the broad powers of a 2010 law that gives the government the ability “to secure its multidimensional interests.” I suspect that most countries would try to intercept the communications of a…

You realize you're defending a government that illegally shot and attacked the person in question and then arrested and tortured him, right? After which he was released and fled back to the US for medical treatment. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Kyagulanyi_Ssentamu#Arr...

Defending the specific act of spying on foreign political influence isn't the same as defending the entire government, or even other actions related to that spying (such as the torture you mentioned).

By this logic, if someone 'bad' does anything, that anything can be claimed to be sinister and unreasonable, and any statements otherwise are "defending someone bad".

Re: Huawei Technicians Helped African Governments Spy on Political Opponents

#10

Seems these activities were conducted without Huawei corporate being aware or involved. Still an embarrassing compliance failure on their part.

I'm sure huawei corporate is correcting the issue right now. /s

But who do you think trained the ugandan cyber-surveillance team in the first place?

You can piece it together from the article: They had pegasus and were trained by the israeli company (probably not an advanced version... the one that just parses unencrypted comms). But they even said it was simplistic and needed/wanted more. Of course Huawei trained them. When they were unable to "punch" through with the "pegasus-style" spyware themselves, they strolled up to their teachers and said help us senpai.

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