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Edward Snowden’s Privacy Tips: “Get Rid of Dropbox,” Avoid Facebook and Google

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Re: Edward Snowden’s Privacy Tips: “Get Rid of Dropbox,” Avoid Facebook and Google

#11

Post by mark_l_watson »

I use DropBox and Google Drive a lot, but I have scripts to encrypt data into ZIP files for anything that needs to be protected. It really is not much of a hassle.

I have a SpiderOak account, but don't use it as often.

Speaking of protecting data: I am surprised at how many companies seem to keep their software in private repositories on github and bitbucket. That seems like a security hole, if software if the core of your business.

Re: Edward Snowden’s Privacy Tips: “Get Rid of Dropbox,” Avoid Facebook and Google

#12

Post by throwawayaway »

film42 wrote: post #5

I won't be getting rid of Dropbox, Google services, or Facebook anytime soon. I disagree with government spying, and would like to see major reform, but (disagreeing with Snowden) I actually have nothing to hide. I'm not excusing the companies that provide data to governments, but I like the services they provide. They solve problems I want solved, so I will continue to use them. Edit: Why all the down votes? If you…

put a webcam in your bedroom, it will be just as revealing.

Re: Edward Snowden’s Privacy Tips: “Get Rid of Dropbox,” Avoid Facebook and Google

#13

Post by lern_too_spel »

"Even with that encryption, he said law enforcement officials can still ask for warrants that will give them complete access to a suspect’s phone, which will include the key to the encrypted data."

What, pray tell, is the mechanism by which the key will be obtained? Snowden is bloviating here.

Re: Edward Snowden’s Privacy Tips: “Get Rid of Dropbox,” Avoid Facebook and Google

#14

Post by colechristensen »

film42 wrote: post #5

I won't be getting rid of Dropbox, Google services, or Facebook anytime soon. I disagree with government spying, and would like to see major reform, but (disagreeing with Snowden) I actually have nothing to hide. I'm not excusing the companies that provide data to governments, but I like the services they provide. They solve problems I want solved, so I will continue to use them. Edit: Why all the down votes? If you…

Even if you have nothing to hide, the ability to control that much information about you is a great power over you. The abuse of you personally might not be happening now, but the potential is certainly there. What happens when the abuse of that power comes to you? (abuse of that power is already happening)

I would very much rather have my own email server running local software to read that email and have something like a social network served much like email or through user-owned micro-servers. But software like that doesn't exist in high quality because it needs to be free and you can't get venture capital to make free things (and can't make money off non-cloud free services)

Re: Edward Snowden’s Privacy Tips: “Get Rid of Dropbox,” Avoid Facebook and Google

#15

Post by throwawayaway »

mark_l_watson wrote: post #11

I use DropBox and Google Drive a lot, but I have scripts to encrypt data into ZIP files for anything that needs to be protected. It really is not much of a hassle. I have a SpiderOak account, but don't use it as often. Speaking of protecting data: I am surprised at how many companies seem to keep their software in private repositories on github and bitbucket. That seems like a security hole, if software if the core o…

for a lot of them, it is not "the crown jewels" that they put there.

Re: Edward Snowden’s Privacy Tips: “Get Rid of Dropbox,” Avoid Facebook and Google

#16

Post by film42 »

[deleted] wrote: post #9
film42 wrote: post #5

I won't be getting rid of Dropbox, Google services, or Facebook anytime soon. I disagree with government spying, and would like to see major reform, but (disagreeing with Snowden) I actually have nothing to hide. I'm not excusing the companies that provide data to governments, but I like the services they provide. They solve problems I want solved, so I will continue to use them. Edit: Why all the down votes? If you…

[deleted]

I firmly agree with you, these services can seem scary, and we're half way down that slippery slope. But it's hard for myself (the consumer) to leave a service (like dropbox) that makes my life easier. I can manage my own private dropbox like service, but I don't trust myself. Maybe that's even scarier.

Re: Edward Snowden’s Privacy Tips: “Get Rid of Dropbox,” Avoid Facebook and Google

#17

Post by nitrogen »

lern_too_spel wrote: post #13

"Even with that encryption, he said law enforcement officials can still ask for warrants that will give them complete access to a suspect’s phone, which will include the key to the encrypted data." What, pray tell, is the mechanism by which the key will be obtained? Snowden is bloviating here.

If a key is stored on your phone, it can be obtained the same way any other data is obtained. If the key is password protected, a key logger would yield the password.

Edit: I forgot to check to whom I replied; "lern_to_spel" shows up on all of the Snowden threads.

Re: Edward Snowden’s Privacy Tips: “Get Rid of Dropbox,” Avoid Facebook and Google

#18

Post by adventured »

film42 wrote: post #5

I won't be getting rid of Dropbox, Google services, or Facebook anytime soon. I disagree with government spying, and would like to see major reform, but (disagreeing with Snowden) I actually have nothing to hide. I'm not excusing the companies that provide data to governments, but I like the services they provide. They solve problems I want solved, so I will continue to use them. Edit: Why all the down votes? If you…

You don't get to determine whether you have something to hide or not. That's not up to you.

It's up to whomever is targeting you to decide whether they want to turn something you consider irrelevant, into something that puts you in prison. For example, something not considered a crime today, such as having this conversation, can be a 'thought crime' tomorrow.

Oh, I see here film42, that back in 2014, you partook in a conversation that was negative of the regime's glorious goals. Guilty by association. 40 years hard labor.

Re: Edward Snowden’s Privacy Tips: “Get Rid of Dropbox,” Avoid Facebook and Google

#19

Post by RexRollman »

lern_too_spel wrote: post #13

"Even with that encryption, he said law enforcement officials can still ask for warrants that will give them complete access to a suspect’s phone, which will include the key to the encrypted data." What, pray tell, is the mechanism by which the key will be obtained? Snowden is bloviating here.

I watched the interview and when he said that, I assumed that he meant something like "getting the device when the subject was using it", giving them access to everything. But your reaction makes me wonder if I was mistaken.
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