Israeli spyware hacks journalists phones

[JimBHibees]

https://mobile.twitter.com/i/events/1416799377067233282

Washington post reporting in this. Hugely worrying I would have thought but we probably don't know the half of what actually goes on.

[Curried]

https://mobile.twitter.com/i/events/1416799377067233282

Washington post reporting in this. Hugely worrying I would have thought but we probably don't know the half of what actually goes on.

Just dinnae use a phone......Doos are the way to go if you need a bit of privacy in communication :wink:

https://www.inverse.com/article/38999-carrier-pigeon-john-wick-science

[hibsbollah]

The Guardian Washington Post joint investigation, the Guardian is holding its front page for it all week, I think they’re expecting it to be a Telegraph/expenses scandal scale scoop.

The problem is the story is only going to be of massive concern to people who are risk from authoritarian or murderous governments. Despite Boris being a bit of a ****, In the U.K. we don’t feel this immediate level of risk so it’s only going to resonate with people with an interest in human rights. The prevailing view I hear seems to be ‘all my data is out there anyway, so who cares?’ Which is a bit of a dangerous attitude. If you’re Jamal Khashoggi or an environmental activist in Brazil it’s going to get you killed.

[Keith_M]

You might not be directly affected, e.g. the intended target, but these kind of issues can affect whole populations.

For instance, a foreign government could potentially blackmail politicians to make decisions in their favour, and to your detriment.

[hibsbollah]

You might not be directly affected, e.g. the intended target, but these kind of issues can affect whole populations.

For instance, a foreign government could potentially blackmail politicians to make decisions in their favour, and to your detriment.

Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s scandalous and I hope people are outraged and something is done. Spyware seems to be like a new kind of military power, but controlled by private companies which sell their ‘weapons’ in the form of information to the rich and powerful. I just think it’ll have limited impact as a story because the public are cynical and disinterested.

[Keith_M]

Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s scandalous and I hope people are outraged and something is done. Spyware seems to be like a new kind of military power, but controlled by private companies which sell their ‘weapons’ in the form of information to the rich and powerful. I just think it’ll have limited impact as a story because the public are cynical and disinterested.


Yeah, that's very true, sadly.

[hibsbollah]

Yeah, that's very true, sadly.

…On the other hand, it seems to be making waves in France, front page of Le Monde where Macrons phone seems to have been targeted by the Moroccan government, and in India where Modi seems to have been all over it to attack civil rights groups lawyers and journalists.

[basehibby]

Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s scandalous and I hope people are outraged and something is done. Spyware seems to be like a new kind of military power, but controlled by private companies which sell their ‘weapons’ in the form of information to the rich and powerful. I just think it’ll have limited impact as a story because the public are cynical and disinterested.

In my view the public are not nearly cynical enough and far too complacent. There seems to be a "it'll never happen here" prevailing attitude as if we somehow have a divine right to fair and equitable governments who have the people's interests at heart. Meanwhile we live in a country where mass surveilance of the population is a reality and where, in the last year, Pritti Patel has given undercover security agencies a license to kill and break the law generally while taking massive steps towards outlawing peaceful protest.