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The protester's guide to smartphone security

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Re: The protester's guide to smartphone security

#81

Post by _heimdall »

nightpool wrote: post #63
iseanstevens wrote: post #55

Also Meshtastic.org is a cheap (various It supports strong encryption layer and over 1 km/mile per “hop” in most circumstances. Designed originally for off grid, it’s very flexible and pretty polished. Abstracts your phone into a UI. Has a whole ecosystem behind it. I’ve been using it for festivals and tracking my vehicles (high theft area) for years. Very handy should infra not be available. Should be great for prot…

This would depend on your phone being able to permanently disable its radio, right? I don't know if I would trust my phone well enough for that, I would be worried even in airplane mode about it making some small beacon checks.

There are a few devices floating around with a hardware switch built in. If you use a Pixel, grapheme OS is probably pretty trustworthy so you at least no there's nothing nefarious down to the OS level.

But yeah, in general if you take a phone just assume it's tracking you or at least making it possible for those with access to know you where there.

Re: The protester's guide to smartphone security

#82

Post by dang »

raybb wrote: post #48

404 Media just released a great related article "The Powerful AI Tool That Cops (or Stalkers) Can Use to Geolocate Photos in Seconds" https://www.404media.co/the-powerful-ai-tool-that-cops-or-st...

HN had a thread about that tool last year:

AI Photo Geolocation - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40232755 - May 2024 (102 comments)

Re: The protester's guide to smartphone security

#83

Post by tehjoker »

theoreticalmal wrote: post #14
tehjoker wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The battery thing can be important. One strategy law enforcement uses is to force your phone into a high energy state and zap the battery very quickly.

What does this mean? What does the zapping accomplish?

Reducing the ability for protestors to coordinate on the streets.

Re: The protester's guide to smartphone security

#84

Post by tehjoker »

jMyles wrote: post #20
tehjoker wrote: post #12

If you're this worried, don't bring your phone lol. If you need to take pictures (and don't take identifiable pics of people without consent), just bring a camera. Otoh, the main function of protests is to get media attention, so if they don't get publicized there was basically no point unless they evolve into direct action. If you're interested in this second point, read https://www.amazon.com/If-We-Burn-Protest-Rev…

> don't take identifiable pics of people without consent Hard disagree. Public events are public events. My conclusion, based on experience at street protests, historic trends, and current political events, is that there have been significant actions by provocateurs over the past decade or more, and particularly in Portland in 2020. Taking and posting pictures of these people is an important act. It the internet age…

I can definitely see this perspective. I'm a bit torn myself on the public event section. The second consideration is, yes they are filming, but just because someone is filming it's not necessarily a useful picture (blurry, low res, bad angle, obstructions, etc). Your picture might be useful especially since you may be closer to the action.

Re: The protester's guide to smartphone security

#85

Post by 6LLvveMx2koXfwn »

timewizard wrote: post #74
diggan wrote: post #3

If you're attending a large-scale protest, it's likely that the cell-towers (or stingrays) won't be able to handle everyone who is connected anyways, so worth planning to use apps that can chat over P2P WiFi or Bluetooth together with the rest of your friends. This also allows you to continue using Airplane Mode the entire time, while being able to communicate with people nearby. Alternatively, investing in walkie-ta…

Keep in mind "Mens rea." If you are implicated in the crimes of the crowd all of these actions may be used to increase the penalties you face. Even if you "trust" the crowd, somehow, you should remember that agent provocateurs exist. You might ask what attending a large scale protest is intended to achieve and decide for yourself if the personal risks are worth it.

And if those risks are too great due to state over-reach, best stay at home.

Re: The protester's guide to smartphone security

#86

Post by neilv »

timewizard wrote: post #74
diggan wrote: post #3

If you're attending a large-scale protest, it's likely that the cell-towers (or stingrays) won't be able to handle everyone who is connected anyways, so worth planning to use apps that can chat over P2P WiFi or Bluetooth together with the rest of your friends. This also allows you to continue using Airplane Mode the entire time, while being able to communicate with people nearby. Alternatively, investing in walkie-ta…

Keep in mind "Mens rea." If you are implicated in the crimes of the crowd all of these actions may be used to increase the penalties you face. Even if you "trust" the crowd, somehow, you should remember that agent provocateurs exist. You might ask what attending a large scale protest is intended to achieve and decide for yourself if the personal risks are worth it.

> You might ask what attending a large scale protest is intended to achieve and decide for yourself if the personal risks are worth it.

True. But keep in mind that demonstration size can have an impact.

Even just relatively large, not even a Million Man March.

For example, relevant to recent news magnifying vile Nazi-saluting imbecile demographics: They tried to pull that at an event in Boston in 2017, but tens of thousands of counter-demonstrators showed up. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston_Free_Speech_Rally

We need more reminders that the US can be good people.

Re: The protester's guide to smartphone security

#88

Post by giantg2 »

diggan wrote: post #3

If you're attending a large-scale protest, it's likely that the cell-towers (or stingrays) won't be able to handle everyone who is connected anyways, so worth planning to use apps that can chat over P2P WiFi or Bluetooth together with the rest of your friends. This also allows you to continue using Airplane Mode the entire time, while being able to communicate with people nearby. Alternatively, investing in walkie-ta…

"investing in walkie-talkies that have encryption can be worth it as well"

Generally not allowed in many bands in the US. Motorola sells some AES walkies. They're really the only ones I know of, and they're very expensive.

Re: The protester's guide to smartphone security

#89

Post by hyperadvanced »

tehjoker wrote: post #12

If you're this worried, don't bring your phone lol. If you need to take pictures (and don't take identifiable pics of people without consent), just bring a camera. Otoh, the main function of protests is to get media attention, so if they don't get publicized there was basically no point unless they evolve into direct action. If you're interested in this second point, read https://www.amazon.com/If-We-Burn-Protest-Rev…

> there was basically no point

Other good reads on this include the end of protest, the end of the end of history, capitalist realism

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