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Help users in Iran reconnect to Signal

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Re: Help users in Iran reconnect to Signal

#201

Post by 2cb »

ParanoidShroom wrote: post #80
djl0 wrote: post #69

If Iran is blocking Signal but not other apps, namely Whatsapp, does this mean Iran has access to Whatsapp data? I fully expect the US govt to have access to fb/whatsapp data (at least the metadata), but it's a bit surprising to me that Iran would too.

I doubt it. By the same reasoning they would also have access to iMessage and other apps that aren't banned. Not sure what WhatsApp or fb has to do with this.

Considering Apple put all data of Chinese users on Chinese servers to keep the CCP happy I have no doubt they’re perfectly happy and willing to comply with government requests elsewhere too.

Re: Help users in Iran reconnect to Signal

#202

Post by baybal2 »

tleb_ wrote: post #14
ekianjo wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Too bad, the Signal devs love centralization. One day people will realize Signal is just not the right solution for what they actually need.

As if it was that simple; no it's not as simple as decentralization > centralisation. You might not agree with everything (I don't) but this video provides some good points https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nj3YFprqAr8 I trust Signal to try their hardest to solve communication, spitting on them is not the solution.

It's simple, very simple.

XMPP is by far more fluid, and "productive" when it comes adding new protocol features, or at least if you compare it with Signal.

Marlinspike is making up the problem.

A messaging client is as agile as its developers are, and in case of Signal, not that much.

Evolving a protocol, and developing new features is done by doing programming, and not by some philosophical discourses, and pooing over the competition on tech events.

Re: Help users in Iran reconnect to Signal

#203

Post by birdyrooster »

2cb wrote: post #175
sigmar wrote: post #119

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That article notes that Signal has been domain fronting since 2016. I think google has cracked down on it more recently though, and hence Signal has had to circumvent censors in a new way

And this new way, while less convenient, is arguably superior due to its decentralisation. They’re not just going after one service they’re now going after people all around the world running these proxies. Just set one up myself took 15 minutes and that includes setting up a fresh VPS. Just thinking what the best way to share it is.

lol i accidentally rented a decent VPS for 30 days in switzerland and now I have a use case for it whoo

Re: Help users in Iran reconnect to Signal

#205

Post by x86ARMsRace »

elif wrote: post #188

I would keep in mind that the US has weird antiterror laws about assisting enemies and also laws which construe bypassing system designs as hacking. For instance, Virgil Griffith is being held and charged for giving a high level description of bitcoin transactions at an academic conference in North Korea. This is incredibly more specific and more technical of an act. https://www.coindesk.com/usa-v-virgil-griffith-wha…

This law is trivially easy to get on the wrong side of. Something like this would be definitely in scope of the anti-terror law you're talking about. American HN users beware.

Re: Help users in Iran reconnect to Signal

#207

Post by notsureaboutpg »

wheybags wrote: post #182
teekert wrote: post #178

I'd be happy to run this, but I don't really feel like spreading this (for everyone I know) useless info into my social network (which would be via email for me?) I would gladly sent a link to Signal for my proxy though so they can forward it to people that need it? Hmm, I'm beginning to see the problem now..

Agreed, I'd happily run a server but I would need some kind of aggregator service to post my proxy on. Surprisingly enough I don't have many contacts in Iran lol

I have contacts in Iran but none of them are having trouble accessing Signal (I'm talking to them with it right now!)

Re: Help users in Iran reconnect to Signal

#208

Post by dijit »

2cb wrote: post #197
dijit wrote: post #158

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The analogy falls a bit flat because this forum contains, mostly, the arbiter of the root problem- namely that signal is not censorship resistant by itself. And we should criticise them for that because it was a warning delivered in a timely manner and never heeded. Helping my neighbour in this case means allowing them to use my social insurance. Namely by using xmpp/matrix. It is low/no cost to them (unlike moving c…

> signal is not censorship resistant by itself. And we should criticise them for that because it was a warning delivered in a timely manner and never heeded. I don’t believe Signal ever claimed to be censorship resistant to begin with. I just looked at their description on the App Store and nothing there mentions bypassing censorship. Signal in fact did used to be censorship resistant before they were prevented from…

You write this as if I contested anything you said. Maybe signal didn't _claim_ to be censorship resistant but it's _essentially_ marketed as such by well meaning people. It's "the secure messenger", what is it secure against if not governments? Your ISP?

Or does security of access not get covered by this definition?

If people had chosen a federated system instead, then instead of _needing_ this very quick solution to be hacked together, the system would have dynamically moved around it.

But, it's a future we'll never know now. Signal has the mindshare (and certainly the favour!) of the people, so the ship has sailed and I'm tilting at windmills.

I think it's ridiculous that we have to patchwork _their_ broken system that _we_ warned them of, but that's the reality and I am not one to put principles before people.

Re: Help users in Iran reconnect to Signal

#209

Post by notsureaboutpg »

tannhauser23 wrote: post #34

This is the kind of privacy initiatives we need. While we argue in America about deplatforming, Iran, China, and other authoritarian countries around the world are actually suppressing and punishing free communication. Kudos to Signal for this initiative.

America suppresses and punishes free communication, you just aren't aware of it because they control what you see when you live there.

Re: Help users in Iran reconnect to Signal

#210

Post by lights0123 »

elif wrote: post #186
spullara wrote: post #164

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm surprised that Tor isn't integrated already. Moxie was pushing that at Twitter - a prototype was even built.

Blocking tor exit nodes is considerably easier than an arbitrary proxy server. Tor provides a list, in fact.

No, it's the opposite—if Signal wants exit nodes, they obviously won't block them. It's the entry nodes that need to be blocked. Some are easy to find, but others require you to send an email from a unique email address from a trusted provider to get lists of IPs.
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