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Samsung embeds IronSource spyware app on phones across WANA

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Re: Samsung embeds IronSource spyware app on phones across WANA

#141

Post by msgodel »

menzoic wrote: post #126
userbinator wrote: post #24

making it nearly impossible for regular users to uninstall it without root access, which voids warranties and poses security risks Stop parroting the corporate propaganda that put us into this stupid situation in the first place. Having root access on devices you own should be a fundamental right, as otherwise it's not ownership.

How is the security risk propaganda?

If your security model means me having access to my own hardware is a security risk you're malicious and your security model is bad.

Re: Samsung embeds IronSource spyware app on phones across WANA

#143

Post by msgodel »

anonymars wrote: post #29
akersten wrote: post #7

In my experience, Samsung is a label that means "stay far, far away." From the Galaxy Note fiasco to my microwave to my dishwasher to ... Probably at least three other products before I learned my lesson. I even refuse to buy QD-OLED monitors out of indignation that Samsung makes the panels. Maybe I'm alone but maybe one day we'll boycott lousy companies out of business.

In favor of what? The Android ecosystem is pretty lousy. Which manufacturers allow you to easily migrate to a new phone (Samsung has Smart Switch) and have, let's say, 4+ years of security updates? Genuine question. In my case I also wanted an SD card slot so it was slim slim pickings indeed. (And still there are some misfits who insist that there is no such thing as progress!)

Get a UMPC with a modem card, put Linux on it, use jmp.chat to do all your carrier value add over IP.

Re: Samsung embeds IronSource spyware app on phones across WANA

#144

Post by bsaul »

chaosbolt wrote: post #129
boramalper wrote: post #10

I suspect a strong link between mass surveillance (by corporations for advertising or by states for intelligence purposes) and the very recent targeting of the senior Iranian nuclear scientist and military officers at their homes in Iran. Wherever you are from or whatever side of the conflict you are on, I think we can all agree that it’s never been easier to infer so much about a person from “semi-public” sources su…

I suspect Israel has backdoor access to most CPUs. Here is how Pegasus seems: - China has 1.5 billion people, lots of resources, would profit a lot economically if they found a way to hack iOS, etc. But yet couldn't hack it. - Israel with its 7 million people, not only hacks iOS multiple times, but does it to spy on its allies. Now I've seen the threads analysing Pegasus' complexity, I don't know if it's been reprodu…

[flagged]

Re: Samsung embeds IronSource spyware app on phones across WANA

#145

Post by miki123211 »

gyello wrote: post #56
bongodongobob wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, that's rooting your phone. It should be a little difficult. You can do it. And it's good that most people don't.

The problem is not that rooting is difficult, it's that in most cases now it permanently renders parts of the phone inoperable or makes it impossible to use contactless payments or any banking apps or content streaming apps etc. These additional restrictions are not there for security despite what we are told.

They're for the bank's (and other customers') security, not yours.

I think they're supposed to prevent people from reverse-engineering banking app APIs and writing bots that perform millions of requests per second, trying to brute force their way into peoples' accounts.

As an extra protection, SafetyNet also makes it harder to distribute apps that repackage your genuine banking app, but with an extra trojan added.

Re: Samsung embeds IronSource spyware app on phones across WANA

#146

Post by fc417fc802 »

jrflowers wrote: post #49
userbinator wrote: post #24

making it nearly impossible for regular users to uninstall it without root access, which voids warranties and poses security risks Stop parroting the corporate propaganda that put us into this stupid situation in the first place. Having root access on devices you own should be a fundamental right, as otherwise it's not ownership.

This is a good point. While there is nothing factually incorrect in the statement “rooting your phone can void your warranty and pose a security risk”, if you imagine factual statements are the same thing as value judgments it becomes very problematic. Similarly it is pretty messed up when people say stuff like “fire can burn you if you aren’t careful” because so many people rely on fire for food and warmth.

Having your vehicle serviced by someone other than the dealer could void your warranty and poses a safety risk.

Cooking animal products at home poses a health risk. You should be sure to only ever consume animal products prepared by a duly licensed establishment.

The chauffeur's union would like to take this opportunity to remind you that amateurs operating their own motor vehicles risk serious injury and even death.

The FSD alliance would like to point out that hiring a licensed chauffeur also poses a non-negligible risk. Should you choose to make use of a personal vehicle it is strongly recommended that you select one certified by the FSD alliance. Failure to do so could potentially impact your health insurance premium.

Re: Samsung embeds IronSource spyware app on phones across WANA

#147

Post by v5v3 »

Atlas667 wrote: post #47

THEY WILL TARGET YOU too if you ever find yourself against western and/or Israeli interests. Capitalist technologies are the surveillance state incarnate. They must study people in order to manufacture consent. Remember democracy is majority rule, when have you ever had true control over your political destiny? You KNOW the answer is never. Democracy =/= trust. Democracy = control.

Many 'democracies' are not democracies, as you can only really vote for one of 2 parties. The system is fully designed to supress smaller parties and independents.

Only countries with regular coalition governments can be classed as a actual democracies.

Re: Samsung embeds IronSource spyware app on phones across WANA

#148

Post by encom »

akoboldfrying wrote: post #116
ulrikrasmussen wrote: post #108

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We need regulation which defines that any hardware device capable of running software developed by a third party different from the hardware manufacturer qualifies as a general purpose computing device, and that any such device is disallowed to put cryptographic or other restrictions on what software the user wants to execute. This pertains to all programmable components on the device, including low-level hardware co…

> any such device is disallowed to put cryptographic or other restrictions on what software the user wants to execute Won't this also forbid virus scanners that quarantine files? > This pertains to all programmable components on the device, including low-level hardware controllers. I don't think it's reasonable to expect any manufacturer to uphold a warranty if making unlimited changes to the system is permitted.

>virus scanners

You can (and should, imho) remove anti-virus software.

Re: Samsung embeds IronSource spyware app on phones across WANA

#149

Post by stevenhuang »

OutOfHere wrote: post #37

Samsung currently has an unremovable spyware app on North American phones that pastes (records) everything copied to the clipboard by any app. It is the Samsung Keyboard app. It cannot be removed. It doesn't matter if you're using any other keyboard app. Samsung Keyboard pastes (records) everything that gets copied to the clipboard by any app. The Samsung Keyboard app cannot even be disabled from Android. As an aside…

https://www.reddit.com/r/samsunggalaxy/comments/mtakqq/how_t...

Yeah, all Samsung software is a liability.

Don't even get me started on the Samsung smart TVs. Just horrible all-around.

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