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Self-destructing messages only really work if you trust every person who reads them AND their devices. They can somewhat limit exposure (especially in obscurity
by shkkmo 5y ago
Self-destructing messages only really work if you trust every person who reads them AND their devices.
They can somewhat limit exposure (especially in obscurity) but also introduce the risk of establishing unwarranted perceptions of security.
- naniwaduni 5y agoPeople were always able to reproduce things you said—by repeating the words. They can even claim you said something you didn't say!
- agency 5y agoThat is true but I think it can be misleading to apply this kind of logic when technology has fundamentally changed the economics of this kind of recording. For example, it’s always been perfectly legal to station a police officer next to the road and have them write down the license plate numbers of cars on public roads. Does this mean we should allow law enforcement the unregulated ability to deploy automated license plate reader systems everywhere to track all of our movements in real time?
- inglor_cz 5y agoYour perspective is a cryptographic one, where most flaws are fatal. My proposal was a softer one: reduction of the "I met someone I hate, let me dig in his ancient comment history to get him fired" risk. Self-destructive messages are far from perfect in this regard, but still useful.
- shkkmo 5y agoIf self-destructing messages become the norm, you will see numerous efforts to log and cache those messages for journalistic, political, historic and economic reasons. This is why I made the second half of my comment. Self-destruction relies on obscurity of the practice to work and can create false feelings of security.