Setting the record straight • Hacker News Board

Re: Setting the record straight

#41

Post by [deleted] » Tue, Mar 18, 2014, 12:40 PM UTC

rdl wrote: post #9

To support your public commitment to privacy: OTR or better for WhatsApp, and/or a third party client so we could do this, please. I'll excuse the metadata issues for a while if you build the app in such a way that confidentiality is protected independent of your infrastructure, and if pushing a "bad" app to clients is detectable. It's still a pain if targeted malware is pushed to individual clients, as those clients…

[deleted]

Re: Setting the record straight

#42

Post by cliveowen » Tue, Mar 18, 2014, 12:45 PM UTC

rjzzleep wrote: post #34

provided you have whatsapp and facebook on your phone the following happens though. 1. they both know your mobile phone book. 2. they both know your imei 3. they both know your phone number(this doesn't have to be the same by the time you sign up for the other) just no.1 is already enough to get an accurate estimate on who the person is. notice how they never said that they didn't log that information? it's also very…

Not only that but a few days ago they updated the Android app which can now retrieve your running apps. This means that, given enough time, they know all the apps you have installed. They also force you to update to the new version. Failing to do so means you can no longer use the app.

They turned evil and that's why me and my friends started using Telegram.

They don't care but privacy, they care about money, let's cut the BS.

Re: Setting the record straight

#43

Post by coldpie » Tue, Mar 18, 2014, 12:59 PM UTC

camillomiller wrote: post #13

Facebook will use whatsapp for whatever purpose they see fit. A 19 billion acquisition is not a partnership. When that will happen deliberately, maybe a year from now, the founders will leave, maybe slamming the doors, and enjoy their riches for the years to come.

Yeah, this is probably the most naive thing I've read in a while. Give it a year or two and this service will be integrated, absorbed, or shut down. I can't wait to see the gnashing of teeth over the inevitable TOS change.

Re: Setting the record straight

#44

Post by dustin » Tue, Mar 18, 2014, 1:02 PM UTC

camillomiller wrote: post #13

Facebook will use whatsapp for whatever purpose they see fit. A 19 billion acquisition is not a partnership. When that will happen deliberately, maybe a year from now, the founders will leave, maybe slamming the doors, and enjoy their riches for the years to come.

Agreed. This is just empty PR.

If the guy was that concerned about privacy he wouldn't sell to the company with one of the worst reputations for privacy.

He made the choice and that's fine, but this communication is effectively meaningless. Actions speak louder than words.

Re: Setting the record straight

#45

Post by addandsubtract » Tue, Mar 18, 2014, 7:01 PM UTC

mattlutze wrote: post #31

rurounijones wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

and your phone number is PII that Facebook asks you to register with them! So...yea, not exactly anonymous.

I don't know that Facebook requires a phone number, but yes definitely anyone that has given it out has given them that direct link.

Facebook started asking for your phone number a few years ago. It's required for all new signups and existing users are asked to provide one (to continue) as well, afaik. And then there's the Facebook app on mobile phones that reads everyones phone number out of their address book.