4 ms·

The government has your fingerprint.

manmal 12y ago
Which doesn't help them much because the fingerprint will only reveal the passcode if they gain physical access to the device's "secure element" and its contents (which is reportedly hard).
- pikachu_is_cool 12y ago
  It is really surprising how much HN turns a blind eye to / lacks imagination for potential security issues just because it's Apple. Well, actually it isn't surprising at all.
  - gchokov 12y ago
    You've got a lot of reasonable responses above.
  - chipotle_coyote 12y ago
    I'm inclined to reverse that. Whenever Apple tells the world about a way they're attempting to protect their users' privacy above and beyond what any other for-profit technology company of comparable size and scope has done, HN immediately tries to deconstruct it--which is by and large good, since we need to remember that no security model is perfect. But a small but vocal subset always demonstrates a remarkable level of imagination in presenting scenarios in which Apple can actively conspire against their users while remaining within the letter of their guarantee. I'm not positive this happens jut because it's Apple, but I have my suspicions.
  - manmal 12y ago
    I am certainly not "HN". If you want to argue/discuss, do so. I'm well aware that a "secure element" is never 100% unbreakable. But in the usecase the GP mentioned (government broadly gathers data), hiding the data in a separate hardware compartment will at least help.
    - pikachu_is_cool 12y ago
      I think it's just PR bullshit. Apple has been known to abuse the law. I'm sure some government gave them the green light to lie about this and have another backdoor.
bowlofpetunias 12y ago
My government doesn't have my fingerprint, but the US government does...
jedberg 12y ago
If you grew up in the US, they already have it. Every elementary school kid in the US gets fingerprinted. EDIT: It appears I was wrong, this was only in LA county.
- jsmthrowaway 12y ago
  Uh, what? Neither I nor my children have had such an experience in public school.

Which doesn't help them much because the fingerprint will only reveal the passcode if they gain physical access to the device's "secure element" and its contents (which is reportedly hard).

pikachu_is_cool 12y ago
It is really surprising how much HN turns a blind eye to / lacks imagination for potential security issues just because it's Apple. Well, actually it isn't surprising at all.
- gchokov 12y ago
  You've got a lot of reasonable responses above.
- chipotle_coyote 12y ago
  I'm inclined to reverse that. Whenever Apple tells the world about a way they're attempting to protect their users' privacy above and beyond what any other for-profit technology company of comparable size and scope has done, HN immediately tries to deconstruct it--which is by and large good, since we need to remember that no security model is perfect. But a small but vocal subset always demonstrates a remarkable level of imagination in presenting scenarios in which Apple can actively conspire against their users while remaining within the letter of their guarantee. I'm not positive this happens jut because it's Apple, but I have my suspicions.
- manmal 12y ago
  I am certainly not "HN". If you want to argue/discuss, do so. I'm well aware that a "secure element" is never 100% unbreakable. But in the usecase the GP mentioned (government broadly gathers data), hiding the data in a separate hardware compartment will at least help.
  - pikachu_is_cool 12y ago
    I think it's just PR bullshit. Apple has been known to abuse the law. I'm sure some government gave them the green light to lie about this and have another backdoor.

bowlofpetunias 12y ago

My government doesn't have my fingerprint, but the US government does...

jedberg 12y ago

If you grew up in the US, they already have it. Every elementary school kid in the US gets fingerprinted. EDIT: It appears I was wrong, this was only in LA county.

jsmthrowaway 12y ago
Uh, what? Neither I nor my children have had such an experience in public school.