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There's good reason to believe lots of western apps have back doors, if not backdoors served to countries like Iran from app stores. Also car tech and cameras.

There's good reason to believe lots of western apps have back doors, if not backdoors served to countries like Iran from app stores. Also car tech and cameras. Literally a wet dream if I worked at a three letter agency, real time surveillance of streets which is actually extremely difficult normally. Can't think of how many times I've wanted a recent picture of a street or house miles away, with 360 car cameras you can track people, see changes maybe from just minutes ago. I don't know why these countries don't block or mandate these features are completely turned off.

bevr1337 1y ago
> There's good reason to believe lots of western apps have back doors A common sentiment in this thread. My gut and practical experience both tell me this is true on some level, but how do folks distinguish tinfoil hat conspiracy from legitimate speculation?
- CommanderData 1y ago
  Probably because it's fairly difficult to detect. I doubt the code imports backdoor.dll. The UK now has laws to gag domestic companies and force them to implement backdoors.
  - mousethatroared 1y ago
    And Australia has a law forcing its citizens, around the world, to code in backdoors.
    - BLKNSLVR 1y ago
      The fact that both parties were on the same side of this argument just sickens me. Same with metadata retention. I vote thusly.
      - mousethatroared 1y ago
        Its funny how everyone's forgotten about that law
- krapp 1y ago
  >but how do folks distinguish tinfoil hat conspiracy from legitimate speculation? Plausibility and evidence, for which there's plenty in this case. Although it seems less likely to me that Western apps have backdoors and more likely that Western law enforcement and intelligence have free access to the data, but it's probably both.
  - bevr1337 1y ago
    > more likely that Western law enforcement and intelligence have free access to the data This I have firsthand experience with and agree. Why invest effort when agencies can simply take what they want?
  - bawolff 1y ago
    > Plausibility and evidence, for which there's plenty in this case. I don't know i agree. The article didn't cite any evidence, and Iran would have lots of motivation to lie here. E.g. it could be a face saving move, trying to shift blame for the war going badly from a failing military to being the fault of traitors who installed whatsapp. It could be a ploy to prevent citizens from having e2e encrypted comms, lest they plot a revolution (from what i understand Iran has blamed whatsapp for protests in the past). It might just be a desperate regime with a crumbling military that is out of options and willing to grasp at any straw no matter how slight. Not to say that i think its impossible. Israel has certainly pulled off crazier things in the past, but right now we have zero evidence and lots of potential motives for Iran to make shit up.
- v5v3 1y ago
  Did you read all the Snowden files? The NSA, and it's partners, capabilities and the lengths it is willing to go to are staggering.
- mousethatroared 1y ago
  Because it'd be gross negligence for a security agency not to collect this information? I mean, nothing Snowden revealed was shocking to anyone in IT at the time. He just brought receipts.
- balamatom 1y ago
  >but how do folks distinguish tinfoil hat conspiracy from legitimate speculation? they don't. that's the whole point

bevr1337 1y ago

> There's good reason to believe lots of western apps have back doors A common sentiment in this thread. My gut and practical experience both tell me this is true on some level, but how do folks distinguish tinfoil hat conspiracy from legitimate speculation?

CommanderData 1y ago
Probably because it's fairly difficult to detect. I doubt the code imports backdoor.dll. The UK now has laws to gag domestic companies and force them to implement backdoors.
- mousethatroared 1y ago
  And Australia has a law forcing its citizens, around the world, to code in backdoors.
  - BLKNSLVR 1y ago
    The fact that both parties were on the same side of this argument just sickens me. Same with metadata retention. I vote thusly.
    - mousethatroared 1y ago
      Its funny how everyone's forgotten about that law
krapp 1y ago
>but how do folks distinguish tinfoil hat conspiracy from legitimate speculation? Plausibility and evidence, for which there's plenty in this case. Although it seems less likely to me that Western apps have backdoors and more likely that Western law enforcement and intelligence have free access to the data, but it's probably both.
- bevr1337 1y ago
  > more likely that Western law enforcement and intelligence have free access to the data This I have firsthand experience with and agree. Why invest effort when agencies can simply take what they want?
- bawolff 1y ago
  > Plausibility and evidence, for which there's plenty in this case. I don't know i agree. The article didn't cite any evidence, and Iran would have lots of motivation to lie here. E.g. it could be a face saving move, trying to shift blame for the war going badly from a failing military to being the fault of traitors who installed whatsapp. It could be a ploy to prevent citizens from having e2e encrypted comms, lest they plot a revolution (from what i understand Iran has blamed whatsapp for protests in the past). It might just be a desperate regime with a crumbling military that is out of options and willing to grasp at any straw no matter how slight. Not to say that i think its impossible. Israel has certainly pulled off crazier things in the past, but right now we have zero evidence and lots of potential motives for Iran to make shit up.
v5v3 1y ago
Did you read all the Snowden files? The NSA, and it's partners, capabilities and the lengths it is willing to go to are staggering.
mousethatroared 1y ago
Because it'd be gross negligence for a security agency not to collect this information? I mean, nothing Snowden revealed was shocking to anyone in IT at the time. He just brought receipts.
balamatom 1y ago
>but how do folks distinguish tinfoil hat conspiracy from legitimate speculation? they don't. that's the whole point