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What happens when your phone is spying on you

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Re: What happens when your phone is spying on you

#51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hate to say it, but he doesn’t sound like much of a friend if he’s owned your phone and refuses to elaborate on how.

I think he will fess up eventually, but is sort of being a dick about it for sure. I was hoping HN could give me ideas, but now he will probably read this on HN and then really give me a hard time about it.

Instead of freaking out about it, it would be more fun to do a similar joke to him. What's fair is fair.

Re: What happens when your phone is spying on you

#52
post #24

Something happened to me the other day, I started drafting a text using the regular text messaging app on my android phone, I was sending it to a friend, but I got distracted by a call and never sent the text. Later I went to finish it and send it but he had gone in and put some smart-alec comment in the text of the message I was drafting. I was shocked. He refuses to tell me how he did it. I went through all the set…

Option 1: Sounds to me like physical access is most likely. Your friend, or someone who knows them saw the message on your phone because you left it unlocked somewhere, and added it that way. Option 2: Autocomplete randomly added some weird stuff to your message without you noticing it, and your friend took credit for it, because that's the kind of friend they are. Option 3: Your draft got synced to some other phone…

love this list, especially Option #4 that is not on everyone's radar but a very real issue clouding people's judgement.

Re: What happens when your phone is spying on you

#53

I found this article very shallow. It covers only spyware that are installed when a device is physically compromised. I was hoping it would cover spy/malware that install remotely through many more infection vectors like clicking text messages. I guess NSO/Pegasus malware has this capability. I barely use any apps and would gladly settle for a flip phone... I value privacy more than the ability to order food through…

> I value privacy more than the ability to order food through my phone. I know you didn't mean it like this, but I find it funny that it reads like we've abandoned the idea of calling a restaurant and just talking to a person to order takeaway.

Many restaurant managers already have: I'm increasingly finding places won't allow phone orders, at least during peak hours.

Re: What happens when your phone is spying on you

#54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

to me this is an unacceptable boundary to cross. I would never be able to trust someone that does that.

Is it because the phone is very intimate to you, or because of the implications?

because they could be viewing all their private communication/media on their device and that causes a lot of anxiety cause they won't confirm or deny if they have access.

Re: What happens when your phone is spying on you

#55

I found this article very shallow. It covers only spyware that are installed when a device is physically compromised. I was hoping it would cover spy/malware that install remotely through many more infection vectors like clicking text messages. I guess NSO/Pegasus malware has this capability. I barely use any apps and would gladly settle for a flip phone... I value privacy more than the ability to order food through…

Most spyware is installed by the user themselves. It's typically called "security software" from your company, or the VPN they provide (which also includes additional software that backdoors your entire device).

Re: What happens when your phone is spying on you

#56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

to me this is an unacceptable boundary to cross. I would never be able to trust someone that does that.

Is it because the phone is very intimate to you, or because of the implications?

It's basically the equivalent of someone in the 80s tapping your phone line.

Re: What happens when your phone is spying on you

#57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I value privacy more than the ability to order food through my phone. I know you didn't mean it like this, but I find it funny that it reads like we've abandoned the idea of calling a restaurant and just talking to a person to order takeaway.

> talking to a person to order takeaway Also supports small business by saving them double-digit app fees!

I know a couple of small restaurant owners. Even ones that don’t go through UberEats or GrubHub that use SaaS restaurant software that also come with a white labeled restaurant specific app that accepts Apple Pay (standard credit card fees - not 30%) and other payment methods. They actually prefer it.

Re: What happens when your phone is spying on you

#58
post #7
post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are surreptitious ways to achieving covert monitoring on iOS. To say this applies to Android only is simply untrue. You can do things via MDM on iOS for example and install spyware “monitoring” apps/set OS level permissions that are invisible to non tech saavy users. Also if you have access to the device and the iCloud password/device pin (e.g. abusive partner scenario, etc.) then non tech saavy people don’t st…

> To say this applies to Android only is simply untrue. To be fair, this particular issue — the creative abuse of Android APIs by "stalkerware" apps — applies to Android only. Also, MDMs on iPhones can't do the kinds of covert monitoring that this paper discusses. They can't access texts, emails, photos or other personal messages or data within apps on a device.

honestly all they need to monitor people is built into Apple products out of the box. Sync a dummy iCloud enabled AppleID, and clear all the prompts and emails that the device was added to the account.

You now have access to everything via iCloud and FindMy app for location tracking. You can even sign into another device and have real-time iMessage and other private data without installing any spyware apps. I will admit this is outside the scope of the paper, but arguably harder to mitigate if you are not ever checking your iCloud settings.

Re: What happens when your phone is spying on you

#59

I found this article very shallow. It covers only spyware that are installed when a device is physically compromised. I was hoping it would cover spy/malware that install remotely through many more infection vectors like clicking text messages. I guess NSO/Pegasus malware has this capability. I barely use any apps and would gladly settle for a flip phone... I value privacy more than the ability to order food through…

Apple has “Advanced Data Protection” that you can enable

This was built after the NSO group hacks to lock down the device to be resilient to nation state attacks.

It limits some of the attack vectors you’re taking about (with a tradeoff of also limiting some features).

Apple also enabled true e2ee in the cloud where only you retain the keys.

Re: What happens when your phone is spying on you

#60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I value privacy more than the ability to order food through my phone. I know you didn't mean it like this, but I find it funny that it reads like we've abandoned the idea of calling a restaurant and just talking to a person to order takeaway.

Many restaurant managers already have: I'm increasingly finding places won't allow phone orders, at least during peak hours.

So call the places that do. This is called free market competition.
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