Re: Social-media antipathy (was Re: How i can optimize my operating system?)
On Thu, 18 Mar 2021 09:28:06 +0100
<tomas@tuxteam.de> wrote:
> On Wed, Mar 17, 2021 at 10:54:24PM -0400, Celejar wrote:
> > On Sat, 13 Mar 2021 09:45:28 +0100
> > <tomas@tuxteam.de> wrote:
> >
> > > On Sat, Mar 13, 2021 at 09:24:50AM +0200, Andrei POPESCU wrote:
> >
> > ...
> >
> > > > Fortunately most of the
> > > > conversations have been moving to WhatsApp (where they are supposed to
> > > > be encrypted, at least).
> > >
> > > Yeah, right. Encrypted. End-to-end. One of those ends is Facebook, though.
> > > Ouch.
> >
> > I'm not sure whether you're being serious or facetious, but WhatsApp
> > apparently has genuine end-to-end encryption, using the Signal protocol,
> > and neither of the ends is Facebook.
>
> I am "hinting" at the subtle fact that FB bought WhatsApp for 19 billion
> (same Wikipedia ref you gave). They are going to do whatever it takes
> to make those investors happy. Quoting the same source:
>
> "In January 2021, WhatsApp announced a new Privacy Policy which
> users will be forced to accept by February 8, 2021, or stop
> using the app. The new policy will allow WhatsApp to share data
> with its parent, Facebook. The new policy does not apply in EU,
> since it violates the principles of GDPR. Facing a pushback about
> Facebook data sharing and lack of clarity, WhatsApp postponed the
> implementation of the privacy policy update scheduled from February
> 8 2021 to May 15 2021."
>
> So while I don't doubt that the WA client *could* *in principle*
> do end-to-end encryption, they'll do whatever it takes to trick
> end users to share their juicy data with the mothership, FB. It's
> their life-blood.
>
> Should they need help with that "tricking users to do silly things"
> part, the mothership, FB, has expertise on that.
>
> So if you do everything right, if you only communicate with a tight
> knit group, if you check all the other's keys, yadda, yadda -- then
> it'll possibly work (there are enough mentions of embarrasing bugs
> on that Wikipedia page to underscore the "possibly" part, though).
I definitely share your concerns about Facebook (although perhaps not
quite your vehemence), but making blatantly incorrect assertions like
the claim that Facebook is one of the ends of WhatsApp's E2E encryption
does not help our cause.
I suppose you're a follower of Sen. Goldwater: "Extremism in defense of
liberty is no vice. Moderation in pursuit of justice is no virtue.”
https://www.niskanencenter.org/on-the-saying-that-extremism-in-defense-of-liberty-is-no-vice/
(Teasing: I'm pretty sure your politics are diametrically opposed to
his.)
Celejar
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