• PriorityMotif@lemmy.world
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    12 days ago

    I’ve been instructing LGBTQ acquaintances to use encrypted messaging services like signal and to get a VPN that doesn’t log like mullvad and that your phone company can track your location without gps on but you should still turn off gps/bt/WiFi/mobile data when you’re not using them.

    • Benjaben@lemmy.world
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      12 days ago

      That’s good advice, though I may have heard concerning stuff about Signal recently? Maybe not, kinda hard to keep up with everything.

      By and large though I think it’s wise for folks who could end up targets to do what you’re saying, and to get safe communications operational at a minimum, now, while it’s still easy to do.

      I have some skepticism about whether the worst will come to pass, but it’s wise to prepare in ways like this.

        • Benjaben@lemmy.world
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          12 days ago

          Good enough for me, and ultimately “good enough” is about as good as anything is gonna get.

      • PriorityMotif@lemmy.world
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        12 days ago

        I have some skepticism about whether the worst will come to pass.

        Homosexuality has been illegal in the not too distant past as has “sodomy”

        I thought I also saw something about signal being an issue as well but I didn’t remember what the problem was. They did recently introduce usernames and the ability to keep your phone number secret. You still have to use a phone number to create an account. It’s also the app that is targeted the most by nation-states trying to decrypt it. I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that it has been decrypted but they wouldn’t use that to go after the average person and only use it to spy on other countries.

        • Norah - She/They
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          12 days ago

          I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that it has been decrypted

          I don’t think we need this sort of fear-mongering. Signal’s encryption is fully open source, it has been vetted by cryptographers far more experienced with this stuff than you or I. They even introduced, a few years back, an encryption algorithm that’s future-proof against quantum computing.

          All you are doing is potentially pushing people away from one of the few known-safe options. That’s the opposite of helpful.

        • Benjaben@lemmy.world
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          12 days ago

          Thanks for the info on Signal. I’m under no illusions about the severity of our situation, truly. I know our history, and I know the history of fascism elsewhere. And I see what’s happening in front of us.