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Apple’s Tim Cook Delivers Blistering Speech on Encryption, Privacy

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Re: Apple’s Tim Cook Delivers Blistering Speech on Encryption, Privacy

#271
post #197

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The problem is that Duck Duck go doesn't provide as good results, because it lacks the personalized data. Google knows that when I search for Django I want the web framework. Duck duck go gives me that as well as many links to the film. I think option 1 is more likely for Apple.

> Google knows that when I search for Django I want the web framework That isn't a good thing. http://dontbubble.us Unless Jamie Fox someday starts giving speeches about Django framework, this sounds like a pretty weak excuse to use a google-style (i.e. 'personalised') search engine. > I think option 1 is more likely for Apple. Google's business model is basically selling aggregated user data - not in the form of raw…

> That isn't a good thing. http://dontbubble.us

I don't get the argument being presented there. In either situation, some information is visible, and other information is buried. Presenting the same top results to everyone is just as bad of a bubble.

Re: Apple’s Tim Cook Delivers Blistering Speech on Encryption, Privacy

#272
post #266

In addition to the comments already here, I think this comes down to trust. Which companies do you trust? Which CEOs do you trust? Eric Schmidt: "If You Have Something You Don't Want Anyone To Know, Maybe You Shouldn't Be Doing It." [1] Mark Zuckerburg: "They trust me — dumb fucks." [2] Tim Cook: "I’m speaking to you from Silicon Valley, where some of the most prominent and successful companies have built their busin…

Currently Mozilla is the only Internet company that I trust not to sell me out. And I'm keeping an eye on them as they develop the new New Tab, which will feature advertising.

Re: Apple’s Tim Cook Delivers Blistering Speech on Encryption, Privacy

#273

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I do pay for email, cloud storage and browser. There's a strong argument my personal information should not be harvested by the folks I paid. But paying for things is entirely unrelated to the government having access to your data. The govt can require a company to collect personal information that passes through their hands, even if they weren't collecting it for business purposes.

Honestly, do you really think majority of the users would pay for these services?

People pay when they have to. People buy antivirus software and get no new features at all - just to avoid losing ground. As these other services become fragile (cost-cutting, competition driving dev costs up) folks will flock to anyone that doesn't suck, and pay for it.

Re: Apple’s Tim Cook Delivers Blistering Speech on Encryption, Privacy

#274
post #173

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you have full disk encryption enabled, the system won't boot if you don't give it the password. They write it down because you can't expect a tech to remember 16 digits of alphanumeric password for each client, as it looks bad when they have to phone up the client asking what their password is when they forget it. Writing down passwords is bad because other people can find them. If they're kept safe, there's no is…

How about asking to backup your data (which they ask anyway) and asking that the disk be wiped. There are no problems then. Handing over your password means that there is practically no barrier for a technician to obtain all your data, all your private keys, etc. It only takes one guy with malicious intend to make your life miserable. Often, people also store their work related keys on their computers. So how about o…

99.999% people in this world would much rather take the risk of an Apple tech having their password, then go through the trouble of wiping their drive and reinstalling. Perfect is the enemy of good. Apple has made it easy for people to encrypt their drive with FileVault, which is a huge step forward for privacy and security. As a result, I am okay with a single Apple tech having my password, which I assume gets purged once the computer is returned to me.

If you are that worried or tech savvy, just wipe it before you go in. You seriously expect them to ask every single customer to wipe their drive?

Re: Apple’s Tim Cook Delivers Blistering Speech on Encryption, Privacy

#275

Apple collects tons of user data, and I'm sure they use some of it to provide machine-learning backed services, and I'm sure they'll come out with much nicer products to compete with Google in the future, also enhanced by machine learning techniques. The difference that Tim Cook wants you to believe in is that Apple doesn't directly make money from your data, they just use it to improve their product; alternatively,…

It's even worse than that.Not using Apple's products is a good way to increase privacy. How ?

If you use Google's products(and who doesn't use Google Search ? ) , Google already knows plenty about you. And even if you don't use Google products, Google knows plenty about you, since it's tracking software is installed in large percentage of sites, etc.

And if you add machine learning on top of that , the amount that Google knows about you is great - even if you use Apple's products.

In reality, by using Apple's products, you don't gain privacy , you lose privacy - now two companies know a lot about you, instead of one.

Re: Apple’s Tim Cook Delivers Blistering Speech on Encryption, Privacy

#276

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sure. Make up a name and address and load it with gift cards bought with cash. Done.

Buying gift cards for cash is too insecure. But I do see https://giftoff.com/gift-cards/apple-store for buying Apple Store gift cards with Bitcoins. I'll give it a go. Edit: It seems legitimate: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=970780.0

Can we do refunds yet with Bitcoin ? That's why.

Re: Apple’s Tim Cook Delivers Blistering Speech on Encryption, Privacy

#277
post #266

In addition to the comments already here, I think this comes down to trust. Which companies do you trust? Which CEOs do you trust? Eric Schmidt: "If You Have Something You Don't Want Anyone To Know, Maybe You Shouldn't Be Doing It." [1] Mark Zuckerburg: "They trust me — dumb fucks." [2] Tim Cook: "I’m speaking to you from Silicon Valley, where some of the most prominent and successful companies have built their busin…

[deleted]

Re: Apple’s Tim Cook Delivers Blistering Speech on Encryption, Privacy

#278

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Google knows that when I search for Django I want the web framework That isn't a good thing. http://dontbubble.us Unless Jamie Fox someday starts giving speeches about Django framework, this sounds like a pretty weak excuse to use a google-style (i.e. 'personalised') search engine. > I think option 1 is more likely for Apple. Google's business model is basically selling aggregated user data - not in the form of raw…

> That isn't a good thing. http://dontbubble.us I don't get the argument being presented there. In either situation, some information is visible, and other information is buried. Presenting the same top results to everyone is just as bad of a bubble.

everyone seeing the same results for the same search terms is inherently not a "bubble"

Re: Apple’s Tim Cook Delivers Blistering Speech on Encryption, Privacy

#279
post #209

Apple collects tons of user data, and I'm sure they use some of it to provide machine-learning backed services, and I'm sure they'll come out with much nicer products to compete with Google in the future, also enhanced by machine learning techniques. The difference that Tim Cook wants you to believe in is that Apple doesn't directly make money from your data, they just use it to improve their product; alternatively,…

> Apple doesn't directly make money from your data, they just use it to improve their product Apple improves their products for several reasons, but as a for-profit business the main reason they would use some of their limited capital to "improve their product" would be to make money . The details about how a business exploits user data is not that interesting. Arguments about this kind of minutia are a distraction a…

In a perfect world Amazon's Echo wouldn't record any voice other than that of the owner unless directly addressed == "Hey Echo, change the channel."

Social conventions would not/do not work as much as we would like.

Re: Apple’s Tim Cook Delivers Blistering Speech on Encryption, Privacy

#280
post #272
post #266

In addition to the comments already here, I think this comes down to trust. Which companies do you trust? Which CEOs do you trust? Eric Schmidt: "If You Have Something You Don't Want Anyone To Know, Maybe You Shouldn't Be Doing It." [1] Mark Zuckerburg: "They trust me — dumb fucks." [2] Tim Cook: "I’m speaking to you from Silicon Valley, where some of the most prominent and successful companies have built their busin…

Currently Mozilla is the only Internet company that I trust not to sell me out. And I'm keeping an eye on them as they develop the new New Tab, which will feature advertising.

I know Mozilla are a non profit but doesn't most of their funding come from google (I.e advertising) for promoting their search product?
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