5 ms·

> This future sucks. I hate my own devices. Installing GrapheneOS on my Pixel was the closest I'm come to feeling like having an actual PDA I could trust and l

> This future sucks. I hate my own devices. Installing GrapheneOS on my Pixel was the closest I'm come to feeling like having an actual PDA I could trust and living in a cool future. But of course it's still on Google hardware, so it's not trustworthy. And it still requires apps, some of which are not trustworthy. And, worst of all, I still have to communicate with other people on their phones, which voids most privacy efforts. I don't even give new friends my real phone number because I can't trust their contacts list not to be shared with everybody who wants to buy it.

gjsman-1000 3y ago
It also, no doubt, relies on a Google-signed blob to enforce Secure Boot that is signed by Google. Where do you think that "This device has secure boot disabled" or "This device is running a custom image..." (can't remember exact terminology) warning comes from... So, in theory, Google could make a signed blob that unlocked secure boot if the government really wanted it anyway.
- mindslight 3y ago
  > in theory, Google could make a signed blob that unlocked secure boot if the government really wanted it anyway Iff the design is secure with regards to storing the secret used to unlock user data, then Google signing a blob to unlock signed boot for a new arbitrary image still wouldn't allow that new image to spill existing user data. (I have no idea if this is actually the case though)
  - digging 3y ago
    Gosh I hope that's the case, because this is all too arcane for me.
tortoise_in 3y ago
You can't become early man.
sushisource 3y ago
The thing I've never really understood about this is... to what end? I get that, on a philosophical level, it sucks that in theory your privacy can be violated and that choice has been taken from you. But on a practical level, that's just wildly unlikely to ever happen or ever have an impact on a normal person's life, so why stress about it? Don't get me wrong, it's not to say we shouldn't advocate for govt. orgs not doing this sort of thing - but I also don't know why you'd spend so much time and mental energy trying to avoid a theoretical bogeyman.
- hulitu 3y ago
  > But on a practical level, that's just wildly unlikely to ever happen or ever have an impact on a normal person's life, so why stress about it? Because, one day, you will make a mistake or say something wrong. And then they will correlate this wirh all the information they have about you. Remember NKVD ? Remember STASI ? Remember Gestapo ? Remember CIA ?
  - MSFT_Edging 3y ago
    Currently in the United States, several people who organized a bail fund for protesters are sitting in jail on terrorism charges. In the 50s, people who organized civil rights bail funds were called in front of the Anti-American Activities Committee to be blacklisted from their careers and communities. If anything, privacy is incredibly important because the powers at be continue to prove they will use state-sanctioned violence against people who protest these systems. We like to tell ourselves its only those other bad countries, but rights in the US are just as delicate. Enough money or power behind a charge and you have to real ability to uphold your rights.
  - johannes1234321 3y ago
    I always wonder about consequences for today's children. One can't take away those things from them as all friends use it, but who knows who might have all the information about them in 50 years time, for whatever purpose. All the information on who they are friends with, where they hang out, maybe even contents of images or text messages, the searches they did on the net. In a period of the life where the try out many things and often are curious. And then combined with details about their whole life and career.
gsatic 3y ago
This sounds like too much work. Just use the phone of the old lady across the street.

gjsman-1000 3y ago

It also, no doubt, relies on a Google-signed blob to enforce Secure Boot that is signed by Google. Where do you think that "This device has secure boot disabled" or "This device is running a custom image..." (can't remember exact terminology) warning comes from... So, in theory, Google could make a signed blob that unlocked secure boot if the government really wanted it anyway.

mindslight 3y ago
> in theory, Google could make a signed blob that unlocked secure boot if the government really wanted it anyway Iff the design is secure with regards to storing the secret used to unlock user data, then Google signing a blob to unlock signed boot for a new arbitrary image still wouldn't allow that new image to spill existing user data. (I have no idea if this is actually the case though)
- digging 3y ago
  Gosh I hope that's the case, because this is all too arcane for me.

tortoise_in 3y ago

You can't become early man.

sushisource 3y ago

The thing I've never really understood about this is... to what end? I get that, on a philosophical level, it sucks that in theory your privacy can be violated and that choice has been taken from you. But on a practical level, that's just wildly unlikely to ever happen or ever have an impact on a normal person's life, so why stress about it? Don't get me wrong, it's not to say we shouldn't advocate for govt. orgs not doing this sort of thing - but I also don't know why you'd spend so much time and mental energy trying to avoid a theoretical bogeyman.

hulitu 3y ago
> But on a practical level, that's just wildly unlikely to ever happen or ever have an impact on a normal person's life, so why stress about it? Because, one day, you will make a mistake or say something wrong. And then they will correlate this wirh all the information they have about you. Remember NKVD ? Remember STASI ? Remember Gestapo ? Remember CIA ?
- MSFT_Edging 3y ago
  Currently in the United States, several people who organized a bail fund for protesters are sitting in jail on terrorism charges. In the 50s, people who organized civil rights bail funds were called in front of the Anti-American Activities Committee to be blacklisted from their careers and communities. If anything, privacy is incredibly important because the powers at be continue to prove they will use state-sanctioned violence against people who protest these systems. We like to tell ourselves its only those other bad countries, but rights in the US are just as delicate. Enough money or power behind a charge and you have to real ability to uphold your rights.
- johannes1234321 3y ago
  I always wonder about consequences for today's children. One can't take away those things from them as all friends use it, but who knows who might have all the information about them in 50 years time, for whatever purpose. All the information on who they are friends with, where they hang out, maybe even contents of images or text messages, the searches they did on the net. In a period of the life where the try out many things and often are curious. And then combined with details about their whole life and career.

gsatic 3y ago

This sounds like too much work. Just use the phone of the old lady across the street.