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Limiting Your Digital Footprints in a Surveillance State:
To protect himself and his sources from prying eyes in China, Paul Mozur, a technology reporter in Shanghai, leaves just an "innocent trace" of digital exhaust.
[...] In China, evading the watchful eyes of the government sometimes feels like an exercise in futility. The place is wired with about 200 million surveillance cameras, Beijing controls the telecom companies, and every internet company has to hand over data when the police want it. They also know where journalists live because we register our address with police. In Shanghai, the police regularly come to my apartment; once they demanded to come inside.
That said, China is big, and the government less than competent. Sometimes the police who come to my door have no idea I'm a journalist. Usually the higher-ups who deal with my visa don't know about the house visits. The lack of coordination means one of the best things to do is to try to slip through the cracks. Basically, protect yourself but also leave an innocent trace.
I use an iPhone because Apple tends to be more secure than Android. That's especially true in China, where the blocks against Google mean there are a huge number of third-party Android stores peddling all kinds of sketchy apps.
It's also important to realize that because Beijing controls the telecoms, your domestic phone number can be a liability. For secure apps like Signal, I toggle the registration lock so that if they try to mirror my phone, my account still has a layer of protection.
The author goes on to describe how he avoids the Great Firewall, deals with the police demanding to check his cell phone, guardedly uses WeChat, and addresses facial recognition sunglasses. Further, he notes that there is so much government surveillance going on:
Amusingly, even the government doesn't trust the government. In reporting on data sharing between different ministries, I've found that it's not uncommon for one part of the government to distrust another to the point it won't share data. At other times, a government branch might not even trust itself to handle data.
[...] Then again, when it comes to poor privacy protection, the United States seems to be doing its best to take on China.
That last statement is, in my opinion, quite telling. I know my online hygiene is not perfect, but I do try to limit the amount of personal information I post online. Though nearly 5 years old, now, Using Metadata to Find Paul Revere is just as applicable -- if not more so -- today. I wonder what George Orwell would have to say about surveillance in today's society?
(Score: 3, Insightful) by fustakrakich on Saturday March 02 2019, @03:02PM (9 children)
1984 is history, not fiction
La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Arik on Saturday March 02 2019, @03:12PM (8 children)
No, sorry, no. It's not history, it was definitely fiction. He guessed on details and got many of them dramatically wrong.
He showed not the slightest hint of any anticipation of how the telescreen would actually come to exist and to be ever-present, for instance. He envisioned modern UK CCTV, yes, but he envisioned something like a television in the home as the only complement, when instead we have people *willingly* carrying around miniature telescreens in their pockets, and happily paying for the privilege. He showed no inkling at all as to how immigration and trade would wind up being involved.
On many points, 1985 was closer to history than 1984. But 1984 is the subject, because of one thing it got right - the importance of indiscriminate mass surveillance.
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: 2, Insightful) by fustakrakich on Saturday March 02 2019, @03:16PM (4 children)
Sorry, the only variation from "history" is the setting. Everything else was happening then (and before) and is happening now.
La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
(Score: 2) by Arik on Saturday March 02 2019, @04:58PM (2 children)
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: 1) by fustakrakich on Sunday March 03 2019, @12:56AM
Fine, tell me which one...
And besides, what does that have to do with the price of rice? 1984 is still not fiction, as we are living it, like many generations before us. Let's cut to the chase, ok?
La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
(Score: 2, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 03 2019, @11:05AM
From wikipedia:
The AB book is a tribute, and if you read further on wikipedia, it is not set in the same world but in AB's imagining of 1985 from the point of view of 1978.
The GD book is wrong from the outset, in that it assumes big brother can die. 1984 made it quite clear that he would last as long as the party:
Winston "Does Big Brother exist?"
O'Brien "Of course he exists. The Party exists. Big Brother is the embodiment of the Party."
Winston "Does he exist in the same way as I exist?"
O'Brien "You do not exist."
Winston "Will Big Brother ever die?"
O'Brien "Of course not. How could he die? Next question."
(Score: 4, Funny) by AthanasiusKircher on Saturday March 02 2019, @05:56PM
Just wanted to say: Don't be dissuaded by trolls with small minds. Your comment makes perfect sense to those of us who understand your point. Sadly, some lack the inclination to try to value the insight in others' opinions.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday March 02 2019, @10:43PM (2 children)
It's quite a bit easier to extrapolate 7 years than 36 years. Also the latter author was familiar with the former's work.
(Score: 1) by Arik on Saturday March 02 2019, @10:59PM (1 child)
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: 1) by fustakrakich on Sunday March 03 2019, @04:27AM
It doesn't make what I said false. He was writing about the past and present, not the future. The things he described were already happening in Europe and Russia, the tech was on the cover of Popular Science magazine.
La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..