Putin to staffers: Throw out your iPhones, or 'give it to the kids' Advisors and staff to Russia's maximum leader have been told to ditch their iPhones by the end of the month. Or, for those who don't want to throw their Apple devices in the bin, the other option is to "give it to the kids," according to a local Kommersant report. It's part of a larger effort to "abandon American technology," …
iPhone - Known to spy for Apple.
Android phone - Known to spy for Google.
Samsung phone - Theater of security always defeated by sloppy quality and shovelware.
Chinese phone - Some spy for China, some don't. Usually contains an unpatched exploit to be used anonymously by anyone.
A phone claiming it's insecure because the bootloader is unlocked for LineageOS - Probably the most secure phone if nobody has touched it.
I wouldn't touch a Russian phone. Nope. Nope. Maybe it contains poison darts.
All Chinese phones spy for the CCP, its the law.
Its why they loved Covid so they could lock everyone into having to use the app to take a train, go in a shop etc.
Xi is loving the thought they'd use Chinese phones. He'll probably provide them for free. So then China has full access inside the Russian government.
I'm interested to know more about this. Sources please?
Here's one that was prepared earlier-
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:31996G1104:EN:HTML
Council Resolution of 17 January 1995 on the lawful interception of telecommunications
... Whereas in accordance with a decision by the Trevi Ministers in December 1991 a study should be made of the effects of legal, technical and market developments within the telecommunications sector on the different interception possibilities and of what action should be taken to counter the problems that have become apparent,
HAS ADOPTED THIS RESOLUTION:
1. The Council notes that the requirements of Member States to enable them to conduct the lawful interception of telecommunications, annexed to this Resolution ('the Requirements`), constitute an important summary of the needs of the competent authorities for the technical implementation of legally authorized interception in modern telecommunications systems.
2. The Council considers that the aforementioned Requirements should be taken into account in the definition and implementation of measures which may affect the legally authorized interception of telecommunications and requests Member States to call upon the Ministers responsible for telecommunications to support this view and to cooperate with the Ministers responsible for Justice and Home Affairs with the aim of implementing the Requirements in relation to network operators and service providers.
And then became enshrined in national laws of the EU's member states.. Where most already had similar legislation already on their books in the form of national communications acts. Then the EU followed up with their 'We remember you wholesale' Directive, aka Data Retention. And coming soon, the glue layer-
https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/priorities-2019-2024/europe-fit-digital-age/european-digital-identity_en
Every time an App or website asks us to create a new digital identity or to easily log on via a big platform, we have no idea what happens to our data in reality. That is why the Commission will propose a secure European e-identity. One that we trust and that any citizen can use anywhere in Europe to do anything from paying your taxes to renting a bicycle. A technology where we can control ourselves what data is used and how.
Which has the typical political weasel words. When she says 'we', she doesn't mean you or I. It means they will know you or I have rented a bicycle, and can potentially disallow that transaction. And where it says 'can use', that's just the creeping compulsion we saw with the UK's ID Card Act. Currently we can do all these things already, it's just they have no knowledge or control over it, so eventually it'll become 'must use'.
And of course current proposals suggest that your EuroID and wallet(?!?) will be on your 'smart' phone. Because everyone carries those all the time, right? And they're totally secure.. And it'll never be used to nudge European's Ids into compliance, or submission. You mustn't do that. You can't do that. Now, you really can't do that..
And people think China's bad?
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:31996G1104:EN:HTML
Frankly, I'm not shocked. The key words here are "lawful" and "legally". Communication snooping can be justified sometimes. The limits must be set up by the law, and controlled by an independent body of the one making or asking for the snooping.
And people think China's bad?
Ever heard about Echelon?
Frankly, I'm not shocked. The key words here are "lawful" and "legally".
That's currently a bit of a grey area whilst the limits of 'lawful' and 'legally' get tested in the courts. But you probably should be shocked at the powers 'freedom and democracy' loving nations are giving themselves. Or private enterprises are just taking, ie all the data slurping that doesn't have the protections in lawful intercept legislations. Users just grant the same (or greater) powers to data slurpers when the click on the 'OK!' buttons.
But it's a very slippery slope. Ursula von der Liar previously wanted to use the vaccine 'passport' to restrict services to the unvaccinated. Converting that into a EuroID makes that a lot simpler. Quick ID check, and service is denied. Dare to violate lockdown and a fine is automatically deducted from it's linked wallet. Obey, Citizen. People raised China as an example of an oppressive state, yet seem blissfully aware of our own states are doing.
Ever heard about Echelon?
Yep. Ever heard of 'Black Rooms'? See-
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabinet_noir
Lawful intercept is nothing new, and IMHO, is a neccessary function of a democracy. We fund various agencies to keep us safe and allow us to go about our business. There are people that mean us harm, or want to force us to change our way of life. I'm referring to criminals here, not politicians. So we've allowed lawful intercepts because it allows our law enforcement and security services to keep us safe. Problem is technology has made that harder, and also we've allowed a lot of scope-creep that can turn a public safety tool into a very powerful tool of oppression.
This government might be benevolent, but what about the next one, or the one after?
> I don't think Putin realises he's walking Russia into being China's slave.
If you look at the photos of him with Xi from the recent meetings, I think Putin knows very well that he has become Xi's bitch. He just can't do anything different because he needs the economic support of China to stay in power and thereby stay alive.
Say what you want about iPhones, but the matter of the fact is that Apple is the only OEM that takes security seriously and implements memory protection on the modem. All other OEMs don't, which is why Google panicked when it was determined that Pixels have a VoLTE-activated modem vulnerability.
Russia is just demonstrating that it can (at least try) and be technology independent. That's just one of their current weaknesses.
How about Europe push harder on renewables and get energy independence? You know, away from corrupt totalitarian regimes like the US, Saudi Arabia, Russia and the other, mostly Middle East, fiefdoms. This would save a lot of money and grant a lot of freedoms to act and say how they want.
this would have a very bad effect on Tory fanatics. The only reason the UK Gov coughed up £400 for everyone was to protect the shareholders (and likely Tory fanatic donors) bank balances. It would also have an adverse effect on those potential directorships at the likes of BP, Shell et al who the Tory mobsters have striven to cement for themselves through all this shambles
I wonder why it trusts China, because it's sure China spies on it
Anyone who thinks that Russia trusts China wants their head examined - Russia is buddying up to China at the moment in order to try to ease their logistics quagmire. Whether China will do so is questionable - they gain nothing that they don't already have and potentially lose a lot if their actions harden the West against Chinese trade.
The US is already quite keen to move manufacturing to places like India (and away from China) and the last thing China needs is for that to continue and accellerate.
Just so you know, Aurora OS is a licensed fork of Jolla's Sailfish OS.
Nokiamob.net (2021-11-16): Aurora OS is based on Sailfish but owned by OMP
NN
I can think of another reason Putin wants his lackeys not to use iPhones: to make it easier to eavesdrop on them. While Apple's iOS security isn't perfect, it's arguably stronger than any of the alternatives, as witness the recent Android VoLTE kerfuffle. Ex-FSB wonk Putin would surely love to be able to know exactly what his underlings are talking about, lest any of them try to plot a coup against the increasingly unpopular autocrat. Forcing them to switch to less secure phones would make that a lot easier.
Seems Russia wants to "Make the USSR Great Again", MUGA. But, are they?
One view is their hard turn towards isolationism is going more like the North Korea version, totally whacked. The Russians might make pariah statism work for them though, as long as the oligarchs stay very rich, the peasantry very stupid and carbon revenue continues to flow.
Launching a world war doesn't come cheap though. And, is China really anyone's friend?
As for iPhones, yes, like all of that genre they are likely corporate/government personal spyware and tracking devices. Mine keeps in constant contact with the mother ship all hours day and night and lately SIRI has been joining in family conversations quite regularly, even trying to help the TV out sometimes. It's getting difficult to shut her up. What's that about anyway? (we probably know but don't want to know)
Frankly, good security would probably require the Russians and all of us to throw all of our electronics in the river, but first smashing them with a five pound sledge.
I do have nostalgia lately for phone booths, Selectric typewriters, and one way transistor radios. They seem like ancient symbols of innovation, privacy and freedom anymore. Those were the days.
"I do have nostalgia lately for phone booths, Selectric typewriters, and one way transistor radios. They seem like ancient symbols of innovation, privacy and freedom anymore. Those were the days."
Even the older stuff isn't as secure as you might think...
https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2015/10/how-soviets-used-ibm-selectric-keyloggers-to-spy-on-us-diplomats/
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