Privacy Scandal: NSA Can Spy on Smart Phone Data - SPIEGEL ONLINE

[G+_William Deboer]

http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/privacy-scandal-nsa-can-spy-on-smart-phone-data-a-920971.html

[G+_Leo Saumure]

It seems to me that this is nothing but smoke and mirrors. I'm sure the NSA is working on trying to break smart-phone encryption, but according to Steve Gibson, they're probably a long way off yet.

That being said, the NSA may incorporate social engineering; placing people in these companies in order to spy internally, or gain insight into how these companies do business. 

But there is a big difference between someone looking over your shoulder while you tweet and someone intercepting all your keystrokes.

[G+_John Clark]

Robert Carrasco we choose to give a subset of our data to various service providers.  My data is split between 7 major service providers, none of them have it all.  Additionally, I can leave any and all of them at will.  I cannot do so with my government.  

 

I am not all that concerned about what my government is going to do to me with these violations of the 4th amendment.  I am concerned about what it will eventually become and do to my kids and eventual grand kids.  

 

If you haven't already seen this, I think it's worth a read:  http://benlog.com/2013/08/19/letter-to-president-obama-on-surveillance-and-freedom/

[G+_Chuckie Canuckie]

Flame virus bet could do more then go to Iran. Can't trust my Government or the employees that get caught lying these days. Why would I trust unknowns bord in dark closets. We used to talk about China and friends having a tag along. How things change with age. The New World will look like the Old World in another 100 years.

[G+_John Clark]

Robert Carrasco I never claimed there's no data sharing.  But they don't share it all, and it's all data I volunteered to be used for those purposes.  The same cannot be said of the government.  

 

There are some fundamental differences between the 2 scenarios.  Some examples:

 

If I don't like something that a couple of the services are doing, there's a chance I can opt out and use something else.  My kids won't be able to opt out of the government surveillance without practically becoming Amish.  Even then they'd probably fail.  

 

Google reads my email and FB looks at my posts to choose ads to put on my screen while I use their services.  The government reads my data (ESPECIALLY data I didn't intend to be public) on the chance it might use it against me down the road.  (Why shouldn't we just get rid of search warrants?  Everyone gets random searches of their homes while they're at work.  Got nothing to hide right?)

 

Google isn't going to care if my kid decides to get involved with a protest about something bad the government is doing 15 years from now.  But the government will easily be able to monitor any communication short of talk in the bathroom (assuming they pull the batteries outta their phones) to retaliate and suppress such actions.  They just need to toss enough mentions of national security and terrorism during any press statements and they seem to get something of a blank check.

[G+_Chuckie Canuckie]

Afghan's just let them Taliban walk right in. All talk about stricter security for the good of the people after them Russians couldn't take over the votes. Nobody understood till the street venders music wasn't putting out Christmas tunes. Then everyone was saying what's up to the internet. No need for big down the street noses wanting you out of the same voting area like we got in Syria. Dammit the US forefathers drafted the best written Constitution and everyone watching Taliban or what ever party wipe their backsides. How many go to look at it. Heck some don't even understand but know it keeps them from that old world mentality. Peace on earth goodwill... Time these super stars come clean and work with more open source and get a warrant or open a filesharing business next to the guys spamming or calling for duct cleaning from India.

[G+_Digital Dynamic]

I don't get how all these "tech savvy" people can get up in arms over using a device that is by its very design insecure and unsuitable for the storage of private data.  Hey, if you choose to jump in the pool expect to get wet.

[G+_John Clark]

James Walker I don't think simply sending an email from my PC or making a phone call should be considered "jumping into the pool". Restricting yourself to non-electronic communication should not be the only solution here.?

[G+_Digital Dynamic]

John Clark It's completely unreasonable to expect absolute privacy on a mobile device period.  Nobody's willing to do what it currently takes to guarantee anything even close to data security.  But hey, if you think your tax return is perfectly safe on an Iphone that's your business.  The real tragedy here is that people ever thought their communication was private in the first place.  Never has been or will be.  Even the government knows the only way to have absolute security is to disconnect from the network.  It's a failure of education glossed over by multi-core processors and apps.

[G+_John Clark]

James Walker I'm not demanding absolute privacy. I reject the idea of no privacy. There is risk in the platform, but there's risk in everything. Risk does not equal permission.

Someone could break into my locker at the pool, but that doesn't mean it's okay to put a cop in every changing room who will watch you change and go through all your stuff.

Someone could break into my house or a visitor could steal. That doesn't make it okay for the government to put cameras in every room 24/7.

Its easy for someone to open my mail and read it, that doesn't make it okay for the government to read everyone's mail all the time.