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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

#471

Post by fc417fc802 »

perching_aix wrote: post #293
userbinator wrote: post #204

Earlier quoted context omitted.

but by and large provide what's known as "Trusted Computing Base". In other words, DRM. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trusted_Computing#Criticism (I knew from the beginning that this was known as the Palladium project, and until recently, a search for "Palladium TCG" would find plenty of information about that history, yet now references to that group and its origins in DRM have seemingly disappeared from Google. Mak…

This should not be a surprise. Mechanistically enforced trust (like in trusted computing), and even better, mechanistically assured trust (like in verifiable computing), will be relied upon by anyone seeking trust. This means both consumers and producers, and anyone else in-between. If I want my device to be secure, I want this trust. If I want to sell a copy of my virtual asset to only be used in ways I approve of,…

> If I want my device to be secure, I want this trust.

Device security and mediated trust between mutually distrustful entities are separate things.

> If I want to sell a copy of my virtual asset to only be used in ways I approve of, I want this trust.

I don't want you to be able to do that. At least not with general purpose computing devices (ie my phone). Maybe for something like a game console or set top box but that doesn't seem to be what's being discussed here.

> either your device can provide this trust or it cannot

It is entirely possible for device firmware to do nothing more than verify that the bootloader was signed with a particular user configurable key.

Re: Samsung embeds IronSource spyware app on phones across WANA

#472

Post by chrz »

mattigames wrote: post #409
fpoling wrote: post #369

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This has been going on in Russia on massive scale. For bribes officials sells anything including highly sensitive databases. Those were used to uncover various Kremlin-run assassins targeting oppositions. Then Ukrainian special services used those to target high-ranking Russian military officers. Russia tried to crack down on that but it just increased the database price tag.

If Putin didn't want bribery to go rampant he would set the example, and force other top leaders to do the same, but instead he flaunts his properties, yats, women that he enjoys; but it's probably a price too high for him to pay. I bet Xi Ping enjoys similar privileges but in much more private manner.

if you think you can stop bribery in communism regime then i have some news for you

Re: Samsung embeds IronSource spyware app on phones across WANA

#473

Post by aucisson_masque »

Aachen wrote: post #452
aucisson_masque wrote: post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

All Android phone but pixel ones have bloatware preinstalled. Some are worst, like Xiaomi. If you don’t want bloatware (spyware), it’s either pixel or iPhone.

Wut? Besides that you can uninstall whatever you don't want or even replace the operating system with a bare android or whatever else you want, you're forgetting about Fairphone, Murena, and probably others. I had an apple phone for work once and it's not like it doesn't come with a lot of bloat preinstalled and tries to get your permission to snitch on where you are and what you do. It has toggles for some of the th…

Just an example. WhatsApp on Android force me to give it the contact permission. Without it, I can’t write to someone or call.

On iPhone, I can use the app without giving it the permission because if meta were to put up the same bullshit, they would get their app rejected from the store.

Now, you say you can install barebones Android ? Ever tried it ? It suck, lineageos and other have security issue, often poor battery, lack features and plenty of bugs.

You could uninstall the bloatware on your stock operating system ? Except that you don’t always know what is necessary and what isn’t. Meta (Facebook) have 3 app preinstalled on Samsung, 1 as user app, 2 as system app. Other are systemized and have extremely convulated name, or even embedded in an actual system app like the antivirus in Samsung device managements that used to send back lot of data to Chinese server.

Fairphone are expensive and not well built, murena ? They run e/os/, exact same issue as lineageos.

No really, it’s either pixel (and I’m not speaking of grapheneos, it got more and more issue with play service integrity being forced everywhere) or iPhone. Pick your poison.

Re: Samsung embeds IronSource spyware app on phones across WANA

#474

Post by chrz »

gruez wrote: post #315
bostik wrote: post #309

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 30 milligrams of high explosive is enough to open your daughter's skull, or, more relevantly, your commanding officer's daughter's skull, and there are a thousand ways to deliver it While we are talking about flying drones, we are not far off from Slaughterbots becoming reality.[0] Why bother with surgical assassinations if you can blanket entire regions with with swarms of autonomous seek-and-destroy explosives? A…

>After all, as last two years have so amply demonstrated: people are fine with genocide. Last two years? Try last few decades at the very least. People only care about the war in Gaza more because it's controversial. For non-controversial cases people just agree it's bad but shrug their shoulders. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bosnian_genocide https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rwandan_genocide https://en.wikipedia.org/wi…

People care because they follow news. You dont send reporters where you dont want news about.

Re: Samsung embeds IronSource spyware app on phones across WANA

#475

Post by chrz »

bawolff wrote: post #371
heavyset_go wrote: post #322

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, this happens. Industrial espionage is popular. From what I've seen with bribes, it doesn't even take life-changing amounts of money.

I imagine in a country like Iran where there is a sizable minority that hates the regime, someone might have done it for free.

Imagine all countries

Re: Samsung embeds IronSource spyware app on phones across WANA

#476

Post by const_cast »

drysine wrote: post #447
const_cast wrote: post #414

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's entirely fair game to criticism or even discriminate based on culture, because culture is composed of actions. If people act in such a way that you do not like, that's a valid reason not to like them. Now, we do still need to respect cultural differences where it makes sense and consider the historical context behind cultural differences, such as colonialism.

Nazis used to measure skull dimensions to discriminate on race. How do you measure "culture" of an individual? Just apply a stereotype based on the country of origin?

You… ask them? Or they tell you?

Like, for example, cultures which are outwardly hostile towards women and their autonomy don’t keep that as a secret. In those places, it’s well known and obvious.

Re: Samsung embeds IronSource spyware app on phones across WANA

#477

Post by solace_silence »

chrz wrote: post #472
mattigames wrote: post #409

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If Putin didn't want bribery to go rampant he would set the example, and force other top leaders to do the same, but instead he flaunts his properties, yats, women that he enjoys; but it's probably a price too high for him to pay. I bet Xi Ping enjoys similar privileges but in much more private manner.

if you think you can stop bribery in communism regime then i have some news for you

Agreed, they should call it campaign contributions like the U.S.

Re: Samsung embeds IronSource spyware app on phones across WANA

#478

Post by [deleted] »

const_cast wrote: post #476
drysine wrote: post #447

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nazis used to measure skull dimensions to discriminate on race. How do you measure "culture" of an individual? Just apply a stereotype based on the country of origin?

You… ask them? Or they tell you? Like, for example, cultures which are outwardly hostile towards women and their autonomy don’t keep that as a secret. In those places, it’s well known and obvious.

[deleted]

Re: Samsung embeds IronSource spyware app on phones across WANA

#479

Post by godelski »

nine_k wrote: post #468
godelski wrote: post #466

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're missing the substance of what I've said. No one is denying evil people exist. But take a few more seconds to process what I said...

I know that the road to hell is paved with best intentions. My point is that the pavement is not 100% best intentions, some intentions are outright bad, and we should acknowledge that, and prepare to face that.

Yes, I understand. I was trying to point out that essentially everyone default understands that, so it does not need be said. Bad causes bad, people know this or are hopeless. Good causes bad is non-obvious and needs constant reminder.

Re: Samsung embeds IronSource spyware app on phones across WANA

#480

Post by Nition »

airstrike wrote: post #430
JohnHaugeland wrote: post #302

Earlier quoted context omitted.

ironsource was the owner and runner of the largest sleazy game ad network, which was unity specific unity was dying for lack of revenue

no, unity was dying for low profitability and ads had higher margin I argued against the acquisition at the time, including against accepting the framing that it was a "merger", and I think everything that's transpired since then has validated my views. Sadly, I was outnumbered and “it is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on his not understanding it” applied as it always does. Jo…

I have to say it made the later "Runtime Fee" announcement seem even more in poor taste as well, given that it might have had a big effect on the users paying it, but ultimately mean almost nothing to Unity against the billions paid for IronSource and WetaFX.

At 2¢ per install, with a million Unity games installed every year, they'd make a profit in 300,000 years.

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