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US says it can prove Huawei has backdoor access to mobile-phone networks

arstechnica.com

211–220 of 296 posts

Re: US says it can prove Huawei has backdoor access to mobile-phone networks

#211

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What is more dangerous for an American (or even European) citizen? The US or China spying at them? Even if China is more evil in its domestic affairs a western civilian has much more to fear from the US.

>Even if China is more evil in its domestic affairs a western civilian has much more to fear from the US. Can you support this assertion?

Kim Dotcom, Julian Assange, Iraq, Iran etc.?

Re: US says it can prove Huawei has backdoor access to mobile-phone networks

#212

Note: The following might be considered off-topic. On the otherhand, there might be something nefarious in the SMS network. I found something strange that affects SMS in Canada. You can send the lower case text "secure communication", but it will never be recieved by the recipient. I am not sure if this behavior is reproducible outside of Canada. It might be a software defect, or perhaps there is something capturing…

On a related note, if you start an SMS with "!", then the leading exclamation point will be stripped, and a delivery confirmation SMS will automatically be sent (not sure if it's from the mobile network or the receiving phone). This makes it possible to send zero-character SMSes.

Re: US says it can prove Huawei has backdoor access to mobile-phone networks

#213

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What is more dangerous for an American (or even European) citizen? The US or China spying at them? Even if China is more evil in its domestic affairs a western civilian has much more to fear from the US.

>Even if China is more evil in its domestic affairs a western civilian has much more to fear from the US. Can you support this assertion?

China can't prosecute me for anything, U.S. can.

Re: US says it can prove Huawei has backdoor access to mobile-phone networks

#214
post #93
post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

as a US Resident, China has no authority to murder me or put me in a cage like the US Government does. So if I had to choose I would prefer china over the NSA, Of course neither is the best option but ..... if I lived in China the inverse would be true

That argument really only works if you're a political activist or even an average citizen. However, if you're a high level executive, defense contractor, or a high ranking government employee, do you really want the Chinese government to have access to your comms AND know your movements?

So 98% of American citizens then.

Re: US says it can prove Huawei has backdoor access to mobile-phone networks

#215

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What is more dangerous for an American (or even European) citizen? The US or China spying at them? Even if China is more evil in its domestic affairs a western civilian has much more to fear from the US.

>Even if China is more evil in its domestic affairs a western civilian has much more to fear from the US. Can you support this assertion?

America are more likely to kidnap me over the borders compared to China.

Re: US says it can prove Huawei has backdoor access to mobile-phone networks

#216
post #210

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you think it will take that long? Surely China will expect its investments to start paying back before 2040? This still seems like a strange, "pre-crime" sort of standard to which to hold China. You're almost counting USA misdeeds against China: "since USA did all these horrible things, you can be sure China will do even worse, someday!"

China plays a much longer game than the US. But sure, let's say next decade then. Your analogy is poor. I'm describing the behavior of all hegemonic empires in history. You seem to think the US is a special case. Why is that?

I don't think USA is "special" in any sense. I mentioned it only in response to the direct comparison you made between China and USA.

Re: US says it can prove Huawei has backdoor access to mobile-phone networks

#217

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you're not in their jurisdiction, or neighboring jurisdictions (I've heard some rumors of events in e.g. Vietnam), they're not going to do anything to you. USA cannot make the same claim.

Private information can absolutely be used to coerce/blackmail/extort/compromise/propagandize from abroad. It happens many thousands of times every day.

I wouldn't be surprised if the Chinese state did this and much worse. Governments are evil, film at eleven.

However, if this intercontinental extortion were so common, I suspect we would have heard of a single case by now.

Re: US says it can prove Huawei has backdoor access to mobile-phone networks

#218
post #210

Earlier quoted context omitted.

China plays a much longer game than the US. But sure, let's say next decade then. Your analogy is poor. I'm describing the behavior of all hegemonic empires in history. You seem to think the US is a special case. Why is that?

I don't think USA is "special" in any sense. I mentioned it only in response to the direct comparison you made between China and USA.

You're beating around the bush. If you agree that hegemonic states engaging in imperialism isn't "special", why are you so resistant to the idea that China will behave that way once it has the opportunity? If you ask those in Tibet and Xinjiang they would argue that they already are.

Re: US says it can prove Huawei has backdoor access to mobile-phone networks

#220

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It being illegal is relevant because it is at least considered wrong to do. The degree of difference in what is considered acceptable (and also what is happening) between the two is so staggeringly different it isn't even comparable.

I will continue to disagree, until you can show me that someone is being punished for the illegal actions, and that further steps are being taken to prevent such transgressions in the future. Today in America it is de facto legal for law enforcement to do this stuff. The fact that a piece of paper somewhere might say otherwise has no bearing on what's actually happening.

> 325 times between 2013 and 2015, cops and employees who misused databases “were fired, suspended or resigned.”

https://www.computerworld.com/article/3124641/cops-run-unaut...

> The act imposes some new limits on the bulk collection of telecommunication metadata on U.S. citizens by American intelligence agencies

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USA_Freedom_Act

And shortly thereafter:

> The National Security Agency (NSA) has formally recommended that the White House drop the phone surveillance program that collects information about millions of US phone calls and text messages. The Wall Street Journal reports that people familiar with the matter say the logistical and legal burdens of maintaining the program outweigh any intelligence benefits it brings.

https://www.engadget.com/2019/04/25/nsa-drop-massive-phone-s...

Sure, the US isn't perfect.

But I'm still very certain that I trust China's approach to data privacy a little less, since they currently do all of the following to happen, without suspicion of a crime:

* mass collection of blood and hair DNA samples for citizens living in minority regions

* literal government occupation of people's homes to take photos and collect information

* installing government cameras inside of peoples homes

* using that information to track, detain, and send ~1 million minorities to re-education camps without being charged or accused of a crime... where they are subjected to forced sterilization and torture.

https://www.hrw.org/news/2018/05/13/china-visiting-officials...

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/08/world/asia/china-uighur-m...

https://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur/abuse-10302019142433...

The institutional attitudes to privacy are simply not comparable to the US. US authorities are not nonchalant enough about privacy that they think anything close to that that is remotely acceptable in the US.

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