I’m currently reading Nicole Pelroth’s book “This Is How They Tell Me The World Ends”, which has a big section on the NSO Group and the Pegasus Project. If even part of what she uncovered is true, then digital privacy is effectively non-existent.
Private Israeli spyware used to hack cellphones of journalists, activists
111–120 of 172 posts
Re: Private Israeli spyware used to hack cellphones of journalists, activists
#112That's why I keep it simple. I run things out of a closet with an air gaped computer, a single printer, and a gun...in case the printer starts acting suspicious.
> a single printer You've already lost, then. Printers' output can be uniquely identified. Nothing should ever be in dead-tree format. If you need to carry something that does not need electricity to display text, use eInk. Or build your own printer.
Re: Private Israeli spyware used to hack cellphones of journalists, activists
#113Earlier quoted context omitted.
It might hard to accept this, but "public health" is now a part of the surveillance justification tool kit too. When it's impossible to argue against measures taken in defense of public health without seeming selfish, why wouldn't it be?
Can you provid examples of this? De we have examples of public health being leveraged for anything other than public health?
Re: Private Israeli spyware used to hack cellphones of journalists, activists
#114So - I guess everyone should use WeChat? Because I'm sure the Chinese government wouldn't put up with Israeli software being able to capture that data.
Re: Private Israeli spyware used to hack cellphones of journalists, activists
#115Earlier quoted context omitted.
> "doesn't seem to give a damn when criminal enterprises operating in their borders victimize people in other countries."
None of these seem to be criminal enterprises… also you think adware is unique to Israel and Russia?
2. You say 'adware', while Wikipedia says: "These software items are commonly browser toolbars, adware, browser hijackers, spyware, and malware."
3. I provided two examples of countries that operate like this, not a comprehensive list. I gave the second example to make clear that I was not claiming only one country operates like this. I already clarified this for you.
I don't think you are commenting in good faith. I will not respond to you again, even this response was doubtlessly a waste of my time.
Re: Private Israeli spyware used to hack cellphones of journalists, activists
#116Earlier quoted context omitted.
It might hard to accept this, but "public health" is now a part of the surveillance justification tool kit too. When it's impossible to argue against measures taken in defense of public health without seeming selfish, why wouldn't it be?
Can you provid examples of this? De we have examples of public health being leveraged for anything other than public health?
> ""public health" is now likely to be a part of the surveillance justification tool kit too"
I don't have any specific examples, but this article gives a good gist of what might be at stake. [1]
I think this is a key quote
> "The Snowden disclosures came twelve years after the initial implementation of the Patriot Act, and it was only last year that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit ruled that the subsequent dragnet surveillance employed by the NSA may well have been unconstitutional."
[1] https://slate.com/technology/2021/07/government-data-collect...
Re: Private Israeli spyware used to hack cellphones of journalists, activists
#117For politicians in democracies citizens are potential voters, foreigners don't matter. It's still arguably better than dictatorships, where your citizens don't matter either, as long as you have a good police system. We act surprised when we notice such things but we shouldn't be, it is a mistake to apply the same standards that we, as the lucky citizens of "free countries" enjoy, to any other system of power. From a…
> in democracies citizens are potential voters, foreigners don't matter Not long ago, what determined whether you "mattered" or not was your religion and belief. We now replaced it with a state issued piece of paper and convinced ourselves that this is progress.
Also, "belief" has a propensity to produce circular logic (I believe in X because X is true), non-escapable rational traps (you don't believe in anything, so you believe in non believing, so you believe...), tribalism (we should convert the nonbelievers), righteousness (how can't they see it? It is the truth), wishful thinking (I believe that X is good and Y is bad so of course I will ascribe every good event to X and every bad one to Y), insincere debates, existential crisis caused by the lack of it, and so on... So as much as it's possible I in favor of leaving beliefs and religions out of the analysis.
Re: Private Israeli spyware used to hack cellphones of journalists, activists
#118Earlier quoted context omitted.
It might hard to accept this, but "public health" is now a part of the surveillance justification tool kit too. When it's impossible to argue against measures taken in defense of public health without seeming selfish, why wouldn't it be?
Can you provid examples of this? De we have examples of public health being leveraged for anything other than public health?
Re: Private Israeli spyware used to hack cellphones of journalists, activists
#119Does Israel have an entire start-up sector dedicated to spyware or something? I feel like I'm reading about these all the time?
Re: Private Israeli spyware used to hack cellphones of journalists, activists
#120Earlier quoted context omitted.
Can you provid examples of this? De we have examples of public health being leveraged for anything other than public health?
last may, i recall public health officials and figures coming forward to say that mass protests were acceptable because racism was a greater public health threat than covid. you can see a similar push for gun control using the same rhetoric taking shape