Smartphone Hardening non-root Guide 2.0 (for normal people)

TheAnonymouseJoker@lemmy.ml · edit-2 4 years ago

Smartphone Hardening non-root Guide 2.0 (for normal people)

TheAnonymouseJoker@lemmy.ml · 4 years ago

If you are trading verifiable open privacy off for security that is totally proprietary and unknown (and unreliable as seen with Apple T1/T2 chips), it is same as claiming you have a great accuracy rate with blindfold shooting.

The claim was not fake, Apple just happens to have too much money and power.

Also, Apple works with NSA (and that data goes to 14 Eyes via NSA). Some other entities happen to have no relations with 14 Eyes or NSA.

As we know, Google AI is used to murder people in foreign countries via US military drones: https://www.wired.co.uk/article/google-project-maven-drone-warfare-artificial-intelligence

Also, we know Facebook, Apple, Google and other US companies are very friendly in giving and taking data: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/06/03/technology/facebook-device-partners-users-friends-data.html

As such, giving data to NSA or 14 Eyes in any manner can put people at high risk of safety and real-life security. In the end, this proprietary Apple security is a facade and marketing ploy.

cmxns@lemmy.ml · 4 years ago

Are you intentionally evading questions related to profs for Apple selling user data? You still didn’t provide any sources nor you said anything about trust in other vendors.

I can’t care less about Google or Facebook as well as I don’t care about US military. This thread is about Apple and how it handles personal data.

TheAnonymouseJoker@lemmy.ml · edit-2 4 years ago

Are you intentionally evading questions related to profs for Apple selling user data?

Are you intentionally acting ignorant towards the evidence I already gave for Apple spying and selling user data?

Guess what, your tiny comment train is not the thread. The thread is about the guide I made, and it seems to contain facts that others are not criticising except you.

cmxns@lemmy.ml · 4 years ago

Are you intentionally acting ignorant towards the evidence I already gave for Apple spying and selling user data?

Sorry for the questions, but did you read the “evidences” you provided? Could you please point me? Maybe I’m blind or something but I yet to see evidences for Apple selling my data.

Guess what, your tiny comment train is not the thread. The thread is about the guide I made, and it seems to contain facts that others are not criticising except you.

Apparently, I’m not the only one: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24091709

TheAnonymouseJoker@lemmy.ml · edit-2 4 years ago

You are coming off as agressive. Kindly request you to be a gentleman even if we have disagreements. The evidences are surely something you may have missed.

Apple employees were selling data in China, which you can read. For the iTunes lawsuit, it was found that iTunes does collect personal data on you, but I will give you the leeway and benefit of doubt.

How about Siri recording conversations, and continuing to record them 9 months after they promised they would not do it? https://www.theregister.co.uk/2020/05/20/apple_siri_transcriptions/

You can watch The Hated One’s video on Apple as well, discussing the Epsilon values on differential privacy fake claims: https://yewtu.be/watch?v=shxTTon5lfs

AHH HACKERNEWS definitely credible people. Comments and opinions are all over the place among those people. None of those even have an opinion they are clear about.

One of the first things this article lists is enabling Huawei screen capture and record. This is overall an unserious guide

So this user seems to ignore the fact that these Huawei packages have no internet permissions, and that they do not have any suspicious things in manifest either, but “demonise Huawei, Western social validation +100”.

It suggests installing many closed source, Advertising-ridden apps from the play store.

I wonder which app I wrote about is “ad-infested”. The only non FOSS app is App Ops which does not have any ads and it seems to do a fine job. I even instructed to turn wifi and cell data off for it. It has not been reported to, or misuses the ADB authorisation given to it, and is a baseless accusation on the app and/or my recommendation.

iPhone does not allow you to have privacy due to its blackbox nature

This is a stupid argument. My mobile banking app isn’t open source either but I’m pretty sure it’s reasonably private.

So this user wanted to negate my argument, yet they are “pretty sure it’s reasonably private”. How vague is “reasonably” here? How much is “pretty sure” sure? Do they live in la la land fantasy?

A bunch of app suggestions for reading reddit and watching youtube is terrible security advice and borderline dangerous.

User should probably explain where did I tell users that the guide is only suitable for “reading reddit and watching youtube”. Their “security” claims are weird, as an unlocked bootloader and root are far bigger risks to contain compared to a locked bootloader phone with my guide basically telling to install a firewall with HOSTS rules and DNS, bunch of FOSS apps, an image metadata cleaner, a work profile based app sandboxer, and crippling hidden app permissions via using system APIs via ADB.

I have noticed a lot of these privacy folks do not understand the meaning of and throw around the word “hardening” like it is a rocket science project that only musicians in a football team would research upon to understand. I need to make a post on this word for folks now, it is so scary and getting out of hand.

cmxns@lemmy.ml · 4 years ago

You are coming off as agressive. Kindly request you to be a gentleman even if we have disagreements.

To be honest, I don’t see where I was aggressive in my comments. All I was doing is asking questions and arguing about your choice of words in the article.

Apple employees were selling data in China, which you can read.

There’s a difference between Apple and an Apple’s employee who’s got an unauthorised access to data.

For the iTunes lawsuit, it was found that iTunes does collect personal data on you, but I will give you the leeway and benefit of doubt.

Yes, I’m 100% sure that this lawsuit is bullshit because:

This is not the first time someone claims something like this.
There’s no proof that Apple sells iTunes data.
There’s a common sense that says me this is bullshit.

You can tell me I was wrong after the court will rule that Apple was selling user data. But I doubt this will happen. As you said, “Until it is proven, I will just declare it to be FUD garbage.”

How about Siri recording conversations, and continuing to record them 9 months after they promised they would not do it.

Yep, they collecting user’s recording and only recently allowed you to opt-out. Still, they didn’t sell it.

You can watch The Hated One’s video on Apple as well, discussing the Epsilon values on differential privacy fake claims.

To watch a YouTuber discussing differential privacy? Yeah, sure. Right after he will show me his PhD degree in math.

I see you went crazy on HN’s comments but my point was not to insult you but instead to address your comment:

The thread is about the guide I made, and it seems to contain facts that others are not criticising except you.

The whole point of this discussion for me was simply to ask you to be more careful with accusations in the article. There’re no proofs on Apple’s selling user data and I would be highly surprises they do this after all their effort in making their devices, software and SDKs more privacy-aware.

Instead of throwing such a strong claims you could instead say something like “placing your trust in companies and giving away your personal info is not a good idea if you’re privacy conscious person” or something. But you just grabbed few links with headlines like “YO YO Apple selling your data, no shit” without even reading them. I suppose, to give more weight to your article and for hype? This makes really hard to take the rest of the guide seriously.

TheAnonymouseJoker@lemmy.ml · 4 years ago

Apple employee is Apple’s responsibility, and if Apple did not fire them before they did this, they count as Apple employee, and thus it is Apple’s doing.

Yep, they collecting user’s recording and only recently allowed you to opt-out. Still, they didn’t sell it.

Why are they collecting data when “what happens on iPhone stays on iPhone”? Is that not false advertisement about claiming to protect a human right?

To watch a YouTuber discussing differential privacy? Yeah, sure. Right after he will show me his PhD degree in math.

Calling The Hated One an ordinary YouTuber on the subject of privacy is not just disingenuous, but ignorant and shows a lack of understanding. He is educated enough to talk about it, which almost nobody else talks about.

There is proof of Apple selling user data (Apple employee is not separate from Apple), so they are clearly doing it, as well as having some lovely relations with data give and take with Facebook and Google.

Enough people are taking my guide seriously, and it helps with privacy of their personal data or metadata, so it is good enough for now. Bickering people have not done anything to help the majority of people, and keep basking in the glory of custom ROM and tinkering all day. I am helping that lowest common denominator, which needs the most help and improves the privacy of others as a net indirect result.

cmxns@lemmy.ml · 4 years ago

Apple employee is Apple’s responsibility

That’s why they were prosecuted.

they count as Apple employee, and thus it is Apple’s doing

By your logic, if a citizen of a country will kill another citizen then it’s the country who killed that citizen. Pretty flawed, huh?

Why are they collecting data when “what happens on iPhone stays on iPhone”? Is that not false advertisement about claiming to protect a human right?

How’s it related to selling user data? There’s a lot of things to blame Apple for. But this is off topic.

Calling The Hated One an ordinary YouTuber on the subject of privacy is not just disingenuous, but ignorant and shows a lack of understanding.

I don’t care about YouTubes. What’s his accomplishments except for retelling other sources? How is his content different from lifehacks and minecraft letsplays? Did he proved a flaw in differential privacy? If so, where can I take a look at the paper?

There is proof of Apple selling user data (Apple employee is not separate from Apple)

I’ve showed that this doesn’t work like that. This is also contradicts their privacy policy. Are you saying that they are lying in their public legal document? Then why no one won a lawsuit agains them given that there were lawsuits?

For the third day in a row I’m asking you to provide a source for your claim and we’re still here. That’s not even funny anymore.

——

I’m not saying that your guide is complete garbage or anything like that. I believe that there are people who will find it useful. Your claims on Apple selling personal data and pointing to unrelated links as an “evidence” is the problem. Well, you’re not the first one in the hype train and you’re definitely not the last one.

TheAnonymouseJoker@lemmy.ml · 4 years ago

But you did not acknowledge the prosecution, and denied that it had anything to do with Apple. This is the problem with the way you are arguing. Your criticism seems acceptable, but then it becomes a bad faith argument couple sentences later.

Apple is not a country, but a corporation that makes tall claims of protecting privacy in exchange for $1000+ device people buy, then backstab them. Understanding this is fundamental to educating masses about privacy.

How’s it related to selling user data? There’s a lot of things to blame Apple for. But this is off topic.

Apple makes privacy claims then does these backstabbing things, which clearly indicate that privacy is a marketing tool to them, and not a human right as Tim Cook stated publicly.

Did he proved a flaw in differential privacy? If so, where can I take a look at the paper?

He is not proving a theory himself but making the information about Epsilon values of handled data by these corporations more visible to public. I am sure this can be checked via searching.

Then why no one won a lawsuit agains them given that there were lawsuits?

I hope you are joking. Apple is the national brand of USA, and US government is there to protect them. Besides, Apple has nearly infinite money and political power to crush people criticising them via lawsuits.

For the third day I showed you couple sources that prove Apple sells and collects data, and you are continuing to stay in denial or argue in a nullifying manner.

You are not the first and last one to believe in the religion of Apple. There are plenty of those at reddit.com/r/privacy.