Google, Apple remove Navalny app from stores as Russian elections begin • Hacker News Board

Re: Google, Apple remove Navalny app from stores as Russian elections begin

#551

Post by windowsrookie » Fri, Sep 17, 2021, 5:04 PM UTC

busymom0 wrote: post #403

tailspin2019 wrote: post #346

When watching this week's iPhone keynote, it occurred to me that while they were showing all their environmental credentials, which seems to be given more prominence every time, what I'd really like to see is a slide on "supporting freedom and democracy". Apple do have the resources, influence and brand equity to make some strides here and it doesn't have to be completely philanthropic either - it can make business s…

I liked how after showing all their environmental credentials, they released a phone which is basically the same thing as last year and none of their devices allow easy battery changes and they actively make it harder for third parties to do it.

Apple makes it easier to replace a battery than Samsung phones.

They only charge $69 for an out of warranty battery replacement. You can mail it in or go to an Apple store. Is there any modern (and waterproof) phone you can have a battery replaced easier or for less?

https://support.apple.com/iphone/repair/service/battery-powe...

Re: Google, Apple remove Navalny app from stores as Russian elections begin

#552

Post by baybal2 » Fri, Sep 17, 2021, 5:05 PM UTC

Angostura wrote: post #532

baybal2 wrote: post #472

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

If you look more close into Chamberlain’s record it’s pretty clear he was playing for time while he put his efforts into Britain’s depleted armed forces and armaments. It wasn’t all about appeasement.

I know it, and I know that British Empire had absolutely monstrous material advantage over Germany, enough to sweep it within months in mid-thirties.

Re: Google, Apple remove Navalny app from stores as Russian elections begin

#553

Post by amatecha » Fri, Sep 17, 2021, 5:06 PM UTC

whimsicalism wrote: post #543

amatecha wrote: post #539

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think it makes sense to block a known-unreliable news outlet because they are usually seen as sources of authoritative, correct information, and once they have proven they are no longer reliable, anything they say no longer holds the same weight of proper journalistic integrity (essentially losing the privilege of trust and perceived "authority"). If there is true, factual information they posted about, the same in…

Who decides what outlet is reliable? Should that be blocked from my text messages? Should the standard be to only allow articles written by reputable outlets, which have been known to bury stories (such as those demonstrating war crimes by the US military)? I just completely disagree with you I guess. I should be free to send whatever I want in private chat messages with my friends, even if it is politically unsavory…

Yeah, tbh I don't see FB/Twitter as good platforms to have private conversations with friends. Partly for the reason you mention, as well as them being tools of ultra-pervasive surveillance. I don't trust businesses to respect my privacy or even my rights (especially because laws are always severely behind technical innovations). I don't even use Facebook anymore for these reasons.

And yeah, I believe text messages (SMS) are indeed filtered, sadly. I just saw an article about exactly this subject[0] where a company with a .xyz domain was finding that SMS containing their domain were not being delivered! Pretty disappointing.

This whole thread could be a good indicator of the future of online communication, and my personal advice is to start looking at "end-to-end encrypted (with no back doors)" as a requirement for any communication platform you use with friends & family. Too bad such a feature is extremely rare :(

[0] https://www.spotvirtual.com/blog/the-perils-of-an-xyz-domain... (and HN discussion at https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28554400 )

Re: Google, Apple remove Navalny app from stores as Russian elections begin

#554

Post by nzmsv » Fri, Sep 17, 2021, 5:10 PM UTC

baybal2 wrote: post #461

sannysanoff wrote: post #432

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Have you ever googled, bro? >> After the collapse of the USSR, economic reforms were not fully implemented in Uzbekistan, conditions for the development of medium and small businesses were not created, corruption took root, and unemployment increased. Many wonder: if it is better now than in the past, why have about two to five million Uzbek citizens left their country in search of work? via bbs.com (!!!) https://www…

> Have you ever googled, bro? I didn't, but I know this better than you. Uzbekistan, a North Korea redux it be, but you can 1. now get a coca cola there. 2. food is on the shelves, including meat 3. buy property, instead of being shot for doing so 4. leave the country, back in USSR there were no option to go work anywhere as a construction worker to earn real cash. If you really like your USSR wonderland communist pa…

All those Uzbeks shot for buying property should rise from the grave and haunt you for being such a troll. Must be millions of them. You should be very afraid. But maybe a Coca Cola mist will keep them at bay? Maybe if you chant Adam Smith's name while you do it?

Re: Google, Apple remove Navalny app from stores as Russian elections begin

#555

Post by whimsicalism » Fri, Sep 17, 2021, 5:10 PM UTC

amatecha wrote: post #553

whimsicalism wrote: post #543

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Who decides what outlet is reliable? Should that be blocked from my text messages? Should the standard be to only allow articles written by reputable outlets, which have been known to bury stories (such as those demonstrating war crimes by the US military)? I just completely disagree with you I guess. I should be free to send whatever I want in private chat messages with my friends, even if it is politically unsavory…

Yeah, tbh I don't see FB/Twitter as good platforms to have private conversations with friends. Partly for the reason you mention, as well as them being tools of ultra-pervasive surveillance. I don't trust businesses to respect my privacy or even my rights (especially because laws are always severely behind technical innovations). I don't even use Facebook anymore for these reasons. And yeah, I believe text messages (…

Look, I agree with most of the sentiments you're expressing - but I don't think it is reasonable to hold out hope that everyday Americans will come to this realization. The platforms are powerful, even if we as individuals choose not to use them.

Take campaign finance, for instance. I'm of the opinion that we need much stronger campaign finance laws.

Your response, to me, reads similar to "well, I don't watch ads on TV and I certainly wouldn't vote for someone based on a 10 second ad, so I don't think campaign finance needs reform." The issue is that millions of people do watch those ads, just like millions of people do rely on tech platforms to contact their friends, socialize, engage in political discourse, etc.

Re: Google, Apple remove Navalny app from stores as Russian elections begin

#556

Post by amatecha » Fri, Sep 17, 2021, 5:18 PM UTC

whimsicalism wrote: post #555

amatecha wrote: post #553

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, tbh I don't see FB/Twitter as good platforms to have private conversations with friends. Partly for the reason you mention, as well as them being tools of ultra-pervasive surveillance. I don't trust businesses to respect my privacy or even my rights (especially because laws are always severely behind technical innovations). I don't even use Facebook anymore for these reasons. And yeah, I believe text messages (…

Look, I agree with most of the sentiments you're expressing - but I don't think it is reasonable to hold out hope that everyday Americans will come to this realization. The platforms are powerful , even if we as individuals choose not to use them. Take campaign finance, for instance. I'm of the opinion that we need much stronger campaign finance laws. Your response, to me, reads similar to "well, I don't watch ads on…

Yeah, that makes sense. As much as I try to drag friends/family into more secure communication methods (iMessage(lol), Signal, Matrix, etc.), it's an uphill battle. No one wants to leave the convenience and ubiquity of FB Messenger, WhatsApp, etc.

IMO I feel that NY Post should basically be shut down and banned from publication due to their harmful, divisive rhetoric and blatant lies, but conversely I don't agree with filtering private communication. My personal opinion is that once a given platform allows freeform communication between two people, that communication should be completely private and unable to be filtered or censored. tbh I suppose our exchange has helped me clarify those views a bit ;)

Re: Google, Apple remove Navalny app from stores as Russian elections begin

#557

Post by chupasaurus » Fri, Sep 17, 2021, 5:20 PM UTC

baybal2 wrote: post #480

chupasaurus wrote: post #431

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Those mercenaries are in the first tier of reserves anyway and it wouldn't be their choice but army on mobilization.

And if they are, then maybe, it's even better. If their first option is this bad, then others must be completely useless.

It's in reverse: Russia has a 1 year long mandatory military service for men aged 18-26 inclusively; roughly 30% serve it, guess which part of the IQ curve doesn't want to spend a year painting grass to green during winter.

The first tier of reserves are anyone who did it and are under 35, as well as officers under 45-60 dependent on rank, the other 2 tiers are either unfit or older. The average Ivan in the first class reserve is pro-government, poor and without higher education.

Re: Google, Apple remove Navalny app from stores as Russian elections begin

#558

Post by jhgb » Fri, Sep 17, 2021, 5:20 PM UTC

lotusmars wrote: post #511

jhgb wrote: post #498

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have no doubt that what you're saying is true. Still, that doesn't make the difference between lack of choice and illusion of choice any bigger.

You can create a political party in US. In Russia even attempting it will get you jailed or murdered. It's still weird how on the West it's customary to compare the uncomparable. In Chechnya (or Iran) all gay people are lynched without exception and women are treated as slaves. The West has its share of homophobia and misoginy but it's not even close, not by a thousand miles.

You can create a political party in the US with exactly the same amount of effect on future politics that such an attempt would have in Russia. Compared to either of those, influencing the political scene by creating a new party is vastly easier in many other parts of the civilized world. For example, there are parties in my country's parliament that didn't even exist a decade ago. It would seem that the last time a non-Democrat, non-Republican party had a seat in US Congress was around 1950 or so - seventy years ago. That seems like quite the difference in political culture to me.

Re: Google, Apple remove Navalny app from stores as Russian elections begin

#559

Post by jhgb » Fri, Sep 17, 2021, 5:25 PM UTC

mcntsh wrote: post #260

Dah00n wrote: post #186

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, it's all in the eye of the beholder. As someone living in Scandinavia looking at the US that doesn't look like elections much either. Pick your favourite animal: A: Black horse B: Brown horse Z: Pony

As someone living in Scandinavia you probably have a King. Anyway, these law makers are still democratically elected in the US (more than we can say about the king of Norway), and these parties are more like coalitions anyway since they're so large and broad.

The king of Norway is not a lawmaker, though. He's not even a minister.

Re: Google, Apple remove Navalny app from stores as Russian elections begin

#560

Post by cronix » Fri, Sep 17, 2021, 5:29 PM UTC

They censor/remove apps based on political viewpoints of whatever is currently en vogue all the time, even in the US. We have already accepted this slope while it was being used against one political faction in a recent election. Everything from not allowing legitimate news to be posted or deleting your post if you mention specific whistleblower names, to editing the contents of private messages, to banning individuals, to banning apps. You are either for censorship, or you are against it, and it's not an a la carte deal based on your political leanings or an individual topic. As we allow, and cheer on censorship in some cases, I fully expect more and more to come as others look around and see how they got away with it, and it will eventually hit something you hold dear. But you'll happily accept it because you were for censoring that other thing and you're not a hypocrite, right?