51–60 of 649 posts
Metadata in this case apparently means Apple and Google are helping find “this real user connected to that real user at this time”. So governments may or may not be able to decrypt a push message payload, or data delivered because of that payload.
Some issues could be prevented if push messages added end-to-end encryption by default, something that shouldn’t be particularly hard to use if it was built into the dev tooling. Instead, developer recommendations like this one [0] suggest that you should put content into your push messages and optionally use a separate library to encrypt them. Clearly developers aren’t doing this, hence the opportunity for surveilla…
Encryption wouldn’t help as the whole point would be to look for coincident timings. I.e. after activity from one user to a known service you see a push occur going to another user. If this pattern repeats you can build confidence they are in contact.
What sort of metadata or information can be gathered from a push notification from an app like iMessage? I know a timestamp is there and most likely the sender's phone number. But is there some sort of sensitive info that these governments are trying to glean? Or is it more so they can build info maps and communication maps on targets?
Some issues could be prevented if push messages added end-to-end encryption by default, something that shouldn’t be particularly hard to use if it was built into the dev tooling. Instead, developer recommendations like this one [0] suggest that you should put content into your push messages and optionally use a separate library to encrypt them. Clearly developers aren’t doing this, hence the opportunity for surveilla…
But as others have pointed out, just having the timestamp and target of the notifications already tells a lot.
"The source declined to identify the foreign governments involved in making the requests but described them as democracies allied to the United States" - why not identify them?
Because the requests likely contain legal cladding to forbid disclosing the request, as is the case in Australia. A lot of people would be vindicated if it turned out one of the “democracies” making these requests was Australia.
Hey other states, can you elect a few more Ron Wydens? He's been doing a ton of the heavy lifting lately. Every time we hear about the intelligence community egregiously violating civil liberties, it's always Wyden.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I can’t tell if you’re being sarcastic. How is that acceptable and democratic?
I am being sarcastic ;) the guy is supposed to be a freedom fighter for privacy/security but is trying to ban boycotts, the most basic form of protest, and integral to US democracy.
What sort of metadata or information can be gathered from a push notification from an app like iMessage? I know a timestamp is there and most likely the sender's phone number. But is there some sort of sensitive info that these governments are trying to glean? Or is it more so they can build info maps and communication maps on targets?
Chat message content?
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I am being sarcastic ;) the guy is supposed to be a freedom fighter for privacy/security but is trying to ban boycotts, the most basic form of protest, and integral to US democracy.
Well, apparently, that's how a good politician works. Just like a good software engineer would have not one, but two backups, at different locations. It's similar to what economists say about not pulling all your eggs in the same basket.
I must add that "good politics" are all about compromise.
In my somewhat grim perspective the best outcome of good politics means none of the constitutents are happy and none are desperately angry.
politics are all about the completely bland and boring averaging
but I come from a land of historically terrible, awful politicians and leaders