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this is the second one of these that hit HN this week? other was a post deleted from reddit. seems like possible explanations here are: - standard 'loveint' at

this is the second one of these that hit HN this week? other was a post deleted from reddit. seems like possible explanations here are: - standard 'loveint' at support depts (many companies with personal data have stories about abusing system access to look at personal info of SO / randos) - illicit group operating within or adjacent to goog doing some kind of espionage or ransom model - google-haters inventing or amplifying a pattern of behavior? (but with what motivation) - not obvious if the phones are passwordless, or if insiders are using a 'universal unlock' feature to decrypt pixel devices -- if the latter, is that a bigger story than the stalking? if this is only happening to passwordless phones, still an abuse of trust, but I'm okay with 'don't send passwordless phone to support' as a consumer best practice.

theturtletalks 5y ago
She said her phone would not turn on or she would've reset the phone before sending it in.
- zibzab 5y ago
  PSA: You can de-authorize your phone from Google security settings on their website. (Not that it should be needed. I hope they lock up the guy and his manager for this)
  - namelessoracle 5y ago
    She stated she tried the remote steps later in the thread.
pizza234 5y ago
Some relevant information (https://twitter.com/avantgame/status/1467236223550779392 https://twitter.com/avantgame/status/1467236223550779392): > someone else reported the same thing happened to them on Reddit recently, using the same RMA for a similar phone at the same Texas facility. Taking the story as true, it'd seem to be case 1. Taking the story as not true (case 3.), she's in a professional position where publicity wouldn't hurt. Her report looks questonable (not necessarily false): > They deleted Google security notifications in my backup email accounts. If the accounts were backup, and she's a security-conscious person as she claims in the same post, how did they do that? They were backup, so they couldn't use the main account to reset them. I can think of the accounts being opened in different browsers, but it doesn't seem a very plausible scenario.
- tyingq 5y ago
  "backup" could mean the main account...where the phone data is "backed up".
- estaseuropano 5y ago
  Jane is famous already with two NYT bestsellers. Why should she make up lies for attention? Really weird to immediately shoot/ad hominem the messenger
  - LudwigNagasena 5y ago
    Lots of people go into permanent irrelevance after a NYT bestseller.
  - boomboomsubban 5y ago
    >Really weird to immediately shoot/ad hominem the messenger They said "If true, it's probably reason 1. If not true, here's a reasonable motivation." Hardly immediately shooting the messenger, more answering questions asked
  - deft 5y ago
    lol. Because people aren't always rational. And what does the NYT or her fame have to do with it? Anyone can lie at any time. And accusing someone of lying isn't ad hominem.
    - naikrovek 5y ago
      believe the victim until there is proof they made it up. victims making up stories in which they are the victim are exceedingly rare, in reality.
      - lotsofpulp 5y ago
        > victims making up stories in which they are the victim are exceedingly rare, in reality. Not in my experience working retail/hospitality jobs. And lots of people crave attention. I see no reason to give either party more credence than the other absent evidence.
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
ChrisArchitect 5y ago
yeah thread from 3 days ago with other complaint https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29404954 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29404954
floatingatoll 5y ago
Google has the private keys for all firmware, boot ROM, and OS binaries. So they can create a far wider array of “gain access” tools than I’ve seen any thread consider yet.
- awinter-py 5y ago
  my understanding is that apple can't decrypt a user's iphone (though there are 3rd party products that can) is this not true with google's encryption? how? is there a backdoor feature?
- awinter-py 5y ago
  as of 2018 they claimed you can't use the root signing keys for 'inside attacks' https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2018/05/insider-attack-resistance.html https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2018/05/insider-at...

theturtletalks 5y ago

She said her phone would not turn on or she would've reset the phone before sending it in.

zibzab 5y ago
PSA: You can de-authorize your phone from Google security settings on their website. (Not that it should be needed. I hope they lock up the guy and his manager for this)
- namelessoracle 5y ago
  She stated she tried the remote steps later in the thread.

pizza234 5y ago

Some relevant information (https://twitter.com/avantgame/status/1467236223550779392 https://twitter.com/avantgame/status/1467236223550779392): > someone else reported the same thing happened to them on Reddit recently, using the same RMA for a similar phone at the same Texas facility. Taking the story as true, it'd seem to be case 1. Taking the story as not true (case 3.), she's in a professional position where publicity wouldn't hurt. Her report looks questonable (not necessarily false): > They deleted Google security notifications in my backup email accounts. If the accounts were backup, and she's a security-conscious person as she claims in the same post, how did they do that? They were backup, so they couldn't use the main account to reset them. I can think of the accounts being opened in different browsers, but it doesn't seem a very plausible scenario.

tyingq 5y ago
"backup" could mean the main account...where the phone data is "backed up".
estaseuropano 5y ago
Jane is famous already with two NYT bestsellers. Why should she make up lies for attention? Really weird to immediately shoot/ad hominem the messenger
- LudwigNagasena 5y ago
  Lots of people go into permanent irrelevance after a NYT bestseller.
- boomboomsubban 5y ago
  >Really weird to immediately shoot/ad hominem the messenger They said "If true, it's probably reason 1. If not true, here's a reasonable motivation." Hardly immediately shooting the messenger, more answering questions asked
- deft 5y ago
  lol. Because people aren't always rational. And what does the NYT or her fame have to do with it? Anyone can lie at any time. And accusing someone of lying isn't ad hominem.
  - naikrovek 5y ago
    believe the victim until there is proof they made it up. victims making up stories in which they are the victim are exceedingly rare, in reality.
    - lotsofpulp 5y ago
      > victims making up stories in which they are the victim are exceedingly rare, in reality. Not in my experience working retail/hospitality jobs. And lots of people crave attention. I see no reason to give either party more credence than the other absent evidence.

deleted 5y ago

[deleted]

ChrisArchitect 5y ago

yeah thread from 3 days ago with other complaint https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29404954 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29404954

floatingatoll 5y ago

Google has the private keys for all firmware, boot ROM, and OS binaries. So they can create a far wider array of “gain access” tools than I’ve seen any thread consider yet.

awinter-py 5y ago
my understanding is that apple can't decrypt a user's iphone (though there are 3rd party products that can) is this not true with google's encryption? how? is there a backdoor feature?
awinter-py 5y ago
as of 2018 they claimed you can't use the root signing keys for 'inside attacks' https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2018/05/insider-attack-resistance.html https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2018/05/insider-at...