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from the when-you-can't-trust-your-friends dept.
The French government is looking to move officials away from popular apps such as WhatsApp and Telegram -- even if the French president likes using them.
As Facebook continues to reel from the Cambridge Analytica saga, the French government is taking precautions against the social media behemoth's WhatsApp service.
The French government is developing its own encrypted messaging service, Reuters reported Monday. The goal is to alleviate concerns about privacy breaches, which could result in the leaking of private conversations between top officials to foreign parties.
The French government's privacy concerns come amid a backlash against Facebook following a massive data leak concerning millions of users. WhatsApp, which provides encrypted messaging services, is owned by Facebook and shares user information with its parent company -- something that hasn't sat well with privacy regulators.
In December 2016, the European Union expressed concerns over Facebook's access to WhatsApp users' data. Just a month later, the popular social messaging platform was sued in German court over the issue, while French privacy watchdog CNIL warned WhatsApp in the same year to stop sharing user data with Facebook or risk a fine. Last month, Facebook agreed not to access any data from WhatsApp until its activities are considered compliant with a Europe-wide General Data Protection Regulation expected in May.
[...] While few details are available on the French-built messaging service, a ministry spokeswoman told Reuters the app is being designed by a "state-employed developer" and tested by "about 20 officials and top civil servants." It is hoped that the use of this app will become mandatory across the government by this summer before being rolled out to all French citizens, she added.
CNET has reached out to the French government for a comment.
(Score: 2) by NewNic on Wednesday April 18 2018, @04:18AM (1 child)
Yes, you are an idiot.
An idiot who can't see that things can and will get worse than they are today while too many people think like you.
An idiot who thinks that the world is black and white, instead of shades of gray. Voting may not have the effect that I would hope, but, yes, it does have some effect.
You are truly the idiot.
Actually, I may be an idiot also. Why am I wasting my time reading and posting on SN? The stories are frequently old and the popular discussions are dominated by people whose political development stopped when they were about 15. So, shame on me.
lib·er·tar·i·an·ism ˌlibərˈterēənizəm/ noun: Magical thinking that useful idiots mistake for serious political theory
(Score: 2, Insightful) by pTamok on Wednesday April 18 2018, @08:36AM
There's an old saying attributed to someone regarded as an exemplar of good judgement that applies here:
אַל־תַּ֣עַן כְּ֭סִיל כְּאִוַּלְתֹּ֑ו פֶּֽן־תִּשְׁוֶה־לֹּ֥ו גַם־אָֽתָּה׃
It has been loosely translated into English and re-attributed to many people since. A good recent one is "Don’t argue with idiots because they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience.", or, more briefly, "Don't feed the trolls."
If you have a point to make, make it clearly and succinctly, and don't worry about rebutting fools. Others will read your contribution and evaluate it on its merits. Debating 'talking points' rarely encourages depth of thinking, whereas a well-constructed in-depth argument takes time to put across and be understood. Pithy sentences play well, but are mostly intellectual froth encouraging superficiality.
Thoughtful, well-considered posts make this place worth coming to. If you produce them, others are encouraged to so the same.