Careless Whisper? Anonymous messaging app accused of stalking users, blabbing to Feds The makers of Whisper have denied claims that the anonymous messaging app is secretly tracking the whereabouts of its privacy-conscious users. The startup hit back following reports that detailed location logs are shared with the US government. Whisper is a two-year-old phone app that allows people to publish text overlaid on …
Sign up for *any* mainstream media applications.
They want your contacts, online account details, friend lists, e-mail contact lists, files, camera, microphone, *all files* on your system access, one even wanted me to register my scrotum print.
OK, I made the last one up for levity's sake.
We'll suffice it to say, that app was not installed, but we consider the device still possibly contaminated.
That is *my* level of faith in any crApp store, be it Apple or otherwise.
Assuming the Guardian report is correct and Whisper does more than it says on the tin, what's the financial thinking behind it?
Normally a startup creates an app hoping it will take off and make millions, but in this (alleged) case the scam is bound to be uncovered eventually, and almost certainly before it gets really big. So is this just a quick and dirty app designed to uncover "juicy" tidbits for sale to the press, for as long as possible? Is there enough likely ROI for that to be a viable business strategy?
"Yes, Whisper has an ed-in-chief because the site works closely with news outlets such as BuzzFeed and the Guardian, sharing juicy anonymous posts with newshounds to turn them into stories"
And any suggestions that in future his role will be to release somewhat less anonymous posts when certain people - such as the sex crazed lobbyist mentioned - don't pay their protection fees are completely unfounded.
This sounds like a government sponsored app that's used to collect data in an innocuous way. If that's the case then it's a clever ruse. I'm not a tin foil hat wearer but it is a bit creepy.
I have used the app when it came out and found it a bit creepy (I use a lot of social media) , there are are a lot of people using it as hook up app as well as a lot of people using as a way of posting coded messages (speculation). You just have to look at whispers Twitter feed to see some of the things they cream from the whisper feeds.
Anyone that thinks selecting Anonymous will obscure there identity is a douche, even on here the vulture knows.
People are idiots to use technology they don't understand, for anything that matters. Closed source? Pass. Open source but the code is tl;dr? Pass. That's ~99.999% of useful software.
Someday, maybe, we'll use dedicated secure comm boxes running a minimal, auditable, inflexible OS. Like phones without all the 'smart' crap. I think people are prepared to accept that tradeoff, but the current network protocols and file formats (pdf, docx, html even) are too inherently complex to allow for a simple enough implementation.
Sorry, but my assessment of average human intellect just took a nosedive.
Trusting your secrets to a third party, of unknown provenance, on their say-so? Just because they have a shiny app? And paid them for the privilege?
Baal's Balls, they didn't even pinkie swear not to tell!
...
The one silver lining is, that the zombie apocalypse will be short lived since they'll all rapidly starve for want of brains to feed on!
Any service with geolocation features, like twitter for instance, stores your location against your postings ...
For those who have opted out, they store IP based location guesses .. so what, any simple web stats application I've ever used in the last 10 years has done IP location. I'm sure El Reg have those stats too.
They share information with government in compliance with US law .. like every other tech company in the states.
What am I missing here?
"What am I missing here?"
That your carrier keeps records of IMEI vs IP allotment on cell towers, allowing the spooks to connect you to both your exact location and personal phone at time of use.
"...like every other tech company in the states.“
You understand perfectly, grasshopper. Open up, the rectal probe is on it's way in.
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