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Are we allowed to discuss (edit: if it's not too political?) if Kape Technologies has any connections to Israeli security services, given the nature of VPNs and

Are we allowed to discuss (edit: if it's not too political?) if Kape Technologies has any connections to Israeli security services, given the nature of VPNs and given the amount of data that can be trivially collected, and: "Being from Israel, Teddy Sagi had connections with the Israeli military intelligence sphere and was able to procure himself a real-life cyber spy [his co-founder] from the famed Unit 8200 (kinda like Israel’s version of the NSA)" [0] ? [0] https://windscribe.com/blog/what-is-kape-technologies/ https://windscribe.com/blog/what-is-kape-technologies/

0points 1y ago
[flagged]
- dang 1y ago
  I specifically put the OP in the second-chance pool (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26998308 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26998308), which is why it got re-upped (https://hnrankings.info/45469376/ https://hnrankings.info/45469376/). Rather an odd way to suppress discussion, no?
  - 0points 1y ago
    We do see your comments, you know? https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45476243 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45476243 etc etc etc etc. As you yourself put it there, you are happy to have moderation abuse pointed out but when I do, you just ban me. Such a wasted potential and time to move on.
    - dang 1y ago
      We don't ban people for criticizing moderation. It's common, though, for people to make grand claims about being banned for that reason, when in fact we banned them for breaking the site guidelines or otherwise abusing the site. Since your account isn't banned, you must be talking about a different account. Why not link to it so readers can make up their own minds? https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=true&query=by%3Adang%20%22own%20minds%22%20-linkbait%20link&sort=byDate&type=comment https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=true&que...
  - immibis 1y ago
    The post is not about Israel but the comment is about Israel. Comments and posts about Israel are typically flagged to death very quickly.
    - dang 1y ago
      That comment is https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45496427 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45496427 (same subthread as this). Anyone can look and see that it's a counterexample. Similarly: https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=true&query=israel%20comments%3E50&sort=byDate&type=story&storyText=none https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=true&que...
qntmfred 1y ago
[flagged]
- greekrich92 1y ago
  The second part of your comment seems like a non sequitur
  - qntmfred 1y ago
    I'm a pragmatist
- drekipus 1y ago
  Calling out Israeli conspiracy isn't Jew hating. This is the whole issue. No one can question what Israel is doing for fear of anti semitimtism. If everyone is "anti-semitic" then you allow real antisemitism to foster unabated.
  - qntmfred 1y ago
    > No one can question what Israel is doing I literally said "it certainly should be allowed" but it goes both ways. no one can question what Jew haters are doing for fear of anti-anti-semitism. If no one is a "Jew hater" then you allow real antisemitism to foster unabated.
Hikikomori 1y ago
Israeli crypto ag
gruez 1y ago
>Teddy Sagi had connections with the Israeli military intelligence sphere Does this mean much given that israel has mandatory military service? Unlike in the US where you have to make a conscious choice (eg. patriotism or desperation) to join the CIA/NSA/military, that's not really the case in israel. "has ties to unit 8200" might as well mean "has ties to stanford/MIT/caltech" or "has ties to big tech".
- sporkxrocket 1y ago
  Unit 8200 is a cyberwarfare and spy unit. They were responsible for the Lebanon pager supply chain terror attack. I definitely want to know if they are involved with any tech I'm using so I can avoid it.
  - pfexec 1y ago
    > I definitely want to know if they are involved with any tech I'm using so I can avoid it Are you going to stop using Linux because the NSA is a major code contributor? Huawei is too, and they were founded by a guy from the PLA.
    - jasonvorhe 1y ago
      this is not a helpful argument. this isn't about not using Israeli OSS software but services that feed data into the surveillance grid of quasi rogue state.
      - pfexec 1y ago
        [flagged]
    - sobelabwhaman 1y ago
      Linux is not operated by NSA and is open for inspection. Can you say the same about VPN services in question? It would be naive to think Huawei is isn’t influenced by CCP, specially if it is found, by presumably someone from PLA intelligence unit by your suggestion.
pfexec 1y ago
[flagged]
dagaci 1y ago
I liked Express VPN
TZubiri 1y ago
I think VPNs are one of the clearest cases of tech/politics intersection, it's not just OT for tech but also for hacker culture. What do you think @dang ?
Illniyar 1y ago
Unit 8200 is the premier software development track in the Israeli military. Every Israeli tech company likely has multiple developers from Unit 8200 in it. Whether it's building e-commerce shops or making video games. While 8200 definitely falls under the military intelligence wing, I don't think describing people in it as Cyber Spies is anywhere near accurate. And unless that guy was very high ranking it is a stretch to imply that's an indication that IL military intelligence is involved in the company. That is not to say that the military isn't involved with the company - that might very well be true, just that someone being from Unit 8200 isn't an indication of it.
- jojobas 1y ago
  Makes perfect cover though? "He was only a conscript changing printer cartridges"
  - true_religion 1y ago
    People who don't live in countries with mandatory conscription for all don't really understand: everyone is connected to the military but it means nothing. Judging an Israeli citizen on their IDF ties is like judging a US citizen on the fact that they went to public school.
    - close04 1y ago
      It doesn't matter if it's accurate or not, such judgements are made by most people every day. Someone who was professionally formed somewhere has a higher probability of ties to them later on. Being intelligence services this might be even more true. In today's political climate where people around the world see Israel judging (and sentencing, and carrying out the punishment) every Palestinian as terrorists, I think this wide brush of judging Israelis on their ties with the IDF is probably widely accepted as "only fair". When it comes to Unit 8200 the implications are even stronger. But I don't get the US public school system reference. You have to start with a baseline and if you see a private Ivy League school on someone's CV and a random public school on someone else's I'm sure you'll probably make the obvious assumption about which one is better, even if sometimes the obvious is wrong.
class3shock 1y ago
Kape was Crossrider which was linked to malware (per link) https://cyberinsider.com/private-internet-access-kape-crossrider/ https://cyberinsider.com/private-internet-access-kape-crossr...
immibis 1y ago
[flagged]
LightBug1 1y ago
Just cancelled my Cyberghost subscription for exactly this reason.
immibis 1y ago
[flagged]
- dang 1y ago
  https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=true&query=israel%20comments%3E50&sort=byDate&type=story&storyText=none https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=true&que... https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45496427 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45496427

0points 1y ago

[flagged]

dang 1y ago
I specifically put the OP in the second-chance pool (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26998308 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26998308), which is why it got re-upped (https://hnrankings.info/45469376/ https://hnrankings.info/45469376/). Rather an odd way to suppress discussion, no?
- 0points 1y ago
  We do see your comments, you know? https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45476243 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45476243 etc etc etc etc. As you yourself put it there, you are happy to have moderation abuse pointed out but when I do, you just ban me. Such a wasted potential and time to move on.
  - dang 1y ago
    We don't ban people for criticizing moderation. It's common, though, for people to make grand claims about being banned for that reason, when in fact we banned them for breaking the site guidelines or otherwise abusing the site. Since your account isn't banned, you must be talking about a different account. Why not link to it so readers can make up their own minds? https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=true&query=by%3Adang%20%22own%20minds%22%20-linkbait%20link&sort=byDate&type=comment https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=true&que...
- immibis 1y ago
  The post is not about Israel but the comment is about Israel. Comments and posts about Israel are typically flagged to death very quickly.
  - dang 1y ago
    That comment is https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45496427 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45496427 (same subthread as this). Anyone can look and see that it's a counterexample. Similarly: https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=true&query=israel%20comments%3E50&sort=byDate&type=story&storyText=none https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=true&que...

qntmfred 1y ago

[flagged]

greekrich92 1y ago
The second part of your comment seems like a non sequitur
- qntmfred 1y ago
  I'm a pragmatist
drekipus 1y ago
Calling out Israeli conspiracy isn't Jew hating. This is the whole issue. No one can question what Israel is doing for fear of anti semitimtism. If everyone is "anti-semitic" then you allow real antisemitism to foster unabated.
- qntmfred 1y ago
  > No one can question what Israel is doing I literally said "it certainly should be allowed" but it goes both ways. no one can question what Jew haters are doing for fear of anti-anti-semitism. If no one is a "Jew hater" then you allow real antisemitism to foster unabated.

Hikikomori 1y ago

Israeli crypto ag

gruez 1y ago

>Teddy Sagi had connections with the Israeli military intelligence sphere Does this mean much given that israel has mandatory military service? Unlike in the US where you have to make a conscious choice (eg. patriotism or desperation) to join the CIA/NSA/military, that's not really the case in israel. "has ties to unit 8200" might as well mean "has ties to stanford/MIT/caltech" or "has ties to big tech".

sporkxrocket 1y ago
Unit 8200 is a cyberwarfare and spy unit. They were responsible for the Lebanon pager supply chain terror attack. I definitely want to know if they are involved with any tech I'm using so I can avoid it.
- pfexec 1y ago
  > I definitely want to know if they are involved with any tech I'm using so I can avoid it Are you going to stop using Linux because the NSA is a major code contributor? Huawei is too, and they were founded by a guy from the PLA.
  - jasonvorhe 1y ago
    this is not a helpful argument. this isn't about not using Israeli OSS software but services that feed data into the surveillance grid of quasi rogue state.
    - pfexec 1y ago
      [flagged]
  - sobelabwhaman 1y ago
    Linux is not operated by NSA and is open for inspection. Can you say the same about VPN services in question? It would be naive to think Huawei is isn’t influenced by CCP, specially if it is found, by presumably someone from PLA intelligence unit by your suggestion.

pfexec 1y ago

[flagged]

dagaci 1y ago

I liked Express VPN

TZubiri 1y ago

I think VPNs are one of the clearest cases of tech/politics intersection, it's not just OT for tech but also for hacker culture. What do you think @dang ?

Illniyar 1y ago

Unit 8200 is the premier software development track in the Israeli military. Every Israeli tech company likely has multiple developers from Unit 8200 in it. Whether it's building e-commerce shops or making video games. While 8200 definitely falls under the military intelligence wing, I don't think describing people in it as Cyber Spies is anywhere near accurate. And unless that guy was very high ranking it is a stretch to imply that's an indication that IL military intelligence is involved in the company. That is not to say that the military isn't involved with the company - that might very well be true, just that someone being from Unit 8200 isn't an indication of it.

jojobas 1y ago
Makes perfect cover though? "He was only a conscript changing printer cartridges"
- true_religion 1y ago
  People who don't live in countries with mandatory conscription for all don't really understand: everyone is connected to the military but it means nothing. Judging an Israeli citizen on their IDF ties is like judging a US citizen on the fact that they went to public school.
  - close04 1y ago
    It doesn't matter if it's accurate or not, such judgements are made by most people every day. Someone who was professionally formed somewhere has a higher probability of ties to them later on. Being intelligence services this might be even more true. In today's political climate where people around the world see Israel judging (and sentencing, and carrying out the punishment) every Palestinian as terrorists, I think this wide brush of judging Israelis on their ties with the IDF is probably widely accepted as "only fair". When it comes to Unit 8200 the implications are even stronger. But I don't get the US public school system reference. You have to start with a baseline and if you see a private Ivy League school on someone's CV and a random public school on someone else's I'm sure you'll probably make the obvious assumption about which one is better, even if sometimes the obvious is wrong.

class3shock 1y ago

Kape was Crossrider which was linked to malware (per link) https://cyberinsider.com/private-internet-access-kape-crossrider/ https://cyberinsider.com/private-internet-access-kape-crossr...

immibis 1y ago

[flagged]

LightBug1 1y ago

Just cancelled my Cyberghost subscription for exactly this reason.

immibis 1y ago

[flagged]

dang 1y ago
https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=true&query=israel%20comments%3E50&sort=byDate&type=story&storyText=none https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=true&que... https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45496427 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45496427