An interesting development as Big Tech decides to go into full totalitarian surveillance and targeting mode. Encrypted communication apps are now exploding with new users.
This outcome will not come as a surprise to CTH readers because the ‘Rebel Alliance’ has been using encrypted communication like Signal App for several years and planning to deal with the mass targeting currently underway. This is why CTH has/is so closely guarded the privacy of CTH readers.
(LINK)
(Via NYT) – The encrypted messaging services have become the world’s hottest apps over the last week, driven by growing anxiety over the power of the biggest tech companies and privacy concerns.
Neeraj Agrawal, a spokesman for a cryptocurrency think tank, has typically used the encrypted messaging app Signal to chat with privacy-minded colleagues and peers. So he was surprised on Monday when the app alerted him to two new users: Mom and Dad.
“Signal still had a subversive shine to it,” said Mr. Agrawal, 32. “Now my parents are on it.”
[…] Their sudden jump in popularity was spurred by a series of events last week that stoked growing anxiety over some of the big tech companies and their communication apps, like WhatsApp, which Facebook owns. Tech companies including Facebook and Twitter removed thousands of far-right accounts — including President Trump’s — after the storming of the Capitol. Amazon, Apple and Google also cut off support for Parler, a social network popular with Mr. Trump’s fans. In response, conservatives sought out new apps where they could communicate.
At the same time, privacy worries rose over WhatsApp, which last week reminded users in a pop-up notification that it shares some of their data with its parent company. The notification set off a wave of anxiety, fueled by viral chain messages that falsely claimed that Facebook could read WhatsApp messages.
The result was a mass migration that, if it lasts, could weaken the power of Facebook and other big tech companies.” (read more)
Inherently people want freedom, liberty and privacy. The more Big Tech shows they are ideologically totalitarian, and simultaneously supportive of the big surveillance state, the more the free market will provide options to get away from their reach.
What CTH 2.0 undertook two months ago, is exactly the same proactive process many other voices are now shifting toward. As noted, the rebel alliance is growing.
There are more of us than them…. They just control (for now) the communication mechanisms allowing us to see the scale of our assembly. The same outlook and control motive is why Big Tech cannot allow voices to assemble and discuss the 2020 election outcome… They are selling a big lie.
I’ve used telegram for years, but just noticed lots of my contacts popping up there. Sydney Powell just added her own channel on telegram.
In their effort to get Trump the IC community has revealed almost all their sources and methods. The very stuff they were trying to protect. Before Spygate, I had no idea of how bad the surveillance state is. I never knew about FISA, FISC, NSA monitoring, cell phone surveillance, burner phones, ocunus lures, electronic storage, communication monitoring, security cameras. Every criminal now knows how to avoid surveillance and get off the grid. Do nothing on your cell phone or PC. Pretend its the 1980s/1990s. Get a land line, get an answering machine, and do everything in person.
Wouldn’t a VPN on your internet service (router) be a strong protection against survelliance? Doesn’t it encrypt/scramble your IP address so no on knows who you are and can’t track the sender?
It depends on who what VPN it is and where it’s based at. A friend of mine told me most of them are dubious because they are based in countries that may cooperate with the US or at the request of the US or other countries to get access to the VPN data, if they are storing it.
VPN’s (which I highly recommend) fool the other end of your internet query into “seeing” another location as your address. I use different U.S. States and foreign countries 99% of my time online. This applies to an actual computer, with a “smart-phone things are quite different and in the case of Android (Google), Apple or Microsoft operating systems. With or without a VPN most smart phones are an extreme security risk. (Read the full text of all the apps on your smart phone and remember YOUR DATA is your smart-phone provider’s business plan.)
A lot of the free VPN’s go through Russian and foreign servers. Chances are your kids are using a free one to get around the school fire wall, which means when they are at home, your whole house is exposed.
Remember there is a huge difference between the so called “Mobile internet” and the World Wide Web.
You can secure your computers….laptops and desktops..but NOT your phones. You kids most likely never use the World Wide Web via an actual, securable computer.
You phones are most likely just as insecure as the kids.
You know the “cure’. Read the permissions on ALL your phone apps (including the Google android or Apple apps) and decide you priorities.
? not really, who is your VPN with. Think of it as a separate highway. Once you are on the public road, you are exposed. Works only if you are a VPN between two private locations. Your messages may be encrypted. Peer to Peer encrypted communication like Signal is probably good enough. We are about to learn a lot about cyber security.
Yes. also, It Depends. The “free” ones, no. Paid, like PIA or NordVPN, yes.
A good VPN creates an encrypted “tunnel” between your PC and your ISP. The ISP knows you are connected, but not what is passing through the ISP data hub. Then the VPN routes you through another server that they own and you have chosen from their list. To the outside world, it looks like you are in France, or Canada, or Switzerland.
Some VPNs keep Logs that can be subpoenaed by a court or law enforcement.
The kind of VPN you want keeps no persistent logs. Essentially, there are no logs of connections.
Paid VPNs are actually cheap. Like $4 a month. Cheap price for being anonymous and non trackable.
See: https://restoreprivacy.com/vpn/no-logs/
Thanks. Good info.
Half true. There was a VPN outfit based in florida that got busted for their little sham. Kinda hard to really tell who to trust. Shoot, you can’t trust Amazon or Google, why trust a VPN provider.
Better off going to McD’s and using their free service with a throw away computer. Wonder how find your device works……maybe can find you too.
Amen Cowboy.
No. Look up browser fingerprinting.
amiunique.com
to a point yes, but, almost everything has ‘back doors” for our IC folks.
Here’s a good discussion of VPNs by “The Internet Security Guy”, Rob Braxman (he hates big tech).
WOW! So I, who’ve been made fun of for still having a landline, fax machine, no presence on Facebook, Twitter, etc., still using cash whenever possible, might be better off! Great news!
I do same. Don’t have smartphone, have landline, no cable, never joined social media, and pay cash when possible. Works for me!
will you marry me Carolina ! 🙂
LOL! ☺️
You may get three marriage proposals before the sun sets…
used to be (not that long ago) that a woman would want to know your credit score before agreeing to date a man. I’m guessing Carolina Girl, now with numerous choices on this forum, will want to vet your cybersecurity strategies. Bachelors will have their work cut out for them, as will we all. Won’t be long and we’ll all be back to Ham radios speaking in code.
How do you connect to internet?
Your land line gets converted to Voice over IP. Land line does not offer any additional protection.
Oh, and if you lose power the router down the corner from you will likely loose service unless your are a block from the central office.
Your landline isn’t spying on you and tracking where you go. Good grief, how the heck did we function when we didn’t have a smart phone…
But your car is. Maybe even your neighbor is. Also your friend who has a cell phone is. Your bank is. Your tv is. The government is tracking your lic. plate. And, you landline who called you and who you called.
Perfect is the enemy of Good. Everyone still can resist putting their entire lives on-line.
You are right that virtually all long-line communication is now IP based digital. The land line at least is not spraying RF all over that can be intercepted while getting to the central office. Cell towers do have equipment huts that also have access points to communication in remote lightly secured locations. Assume if you are using a telephone system that it can be (and maybe is being) Hoovered up in some NSA complex or maybe some Chinese intelligence system.
My understanding is that my landline is analog. Is that any different?
It gets converted to digital at a box along the way. They actually has to put a generator at the box down the street from me to keep lines up when a power outage occurs.
Your knowledge of this is appreciated and this is great info. I don’t want to keep a phone on my person every day and wasn’t interested in texting, etc.
I like my landline because I don’t want a phone to follow me around and ring all day. Nothing is private, for sure.
True landlines are few and far btwn.
Same here Ani, I don’t even own a cell phone. If the goberment wants a piece of me they’ll have to go back to black vans and men in cheap suits showing up after dark.
Just curious. How do you connect to the internet? What speed is that connection?
Just to warn people…. most “landlines” now just go through your ISPs cable/internet wire, so they aren’t secure.
Unless you live in the “old, new world” like the original 13 colonies and perhaps older mid-west settlements most copper lines are gone or no longer serviced by anyone. Even where I mentioned the large majority of copper lines are no longer serviced by anyone at all.
tell your phone company you want a POTs installed. Plain Old Telephone line — that is what ATT service man said they call it on papawrwork.. or tell them you want to unplug your internet every night for brain cancer prevention and still need your alarm system to work from your old fashioned telephone… I did this for health reasons.
…you want to unplug your internet every night for brain cancer prevention…
And here I thought I already did that by turning off CNN permanently…
Another important aspect is to avoid the so-called smart home appliances like Alexia, some smart TVs, Thermostats or basically anything connected to the internet. Alexia particularly does its translations in the cloud somewhere where they do have people monitoring to improve “performance”. Be careful of cameras or audio pickup settings.
I have worked on the development of many complex systems and am not afraid of new technology in general. However I am concerned with the security of many of the internet connected systems that can and do monitor you.
Stand alone hard wired home security & surveillance systems may be helpful while you’re at home (I installed these systems from 1999-2005) but I am assuming that by now most of the systems offering outside monitoring services are just as un-secure as phones & internet…
Hey, if a crook want’s your stuff they’ll find a way to get it.
I run my smart phone on a separate network behind a separate firewall.
one more thing– pay with cash only.
Noticed TechnoFog also went to telegram
I never even heard of it until
I saw Owen Benjamin posted a podcast there since he was suspended from DLive this week. Days later his moderated members only chat there was also suspended. I don’t know the details bc I’m not a member but he doesn’t promote violence at all.
“There are more of us than them…. They just control (for now) the communication mechanisms allowing us to see the scale of our assembly. The same outlook and control motive is why Big Tech cannot allow voices to assemble and discuss the 2020 election outcome… They are selling a big lie.”
I could not add to that even if I tried.
I would add “bots” … the IT demonRATS have inflated their “follower” numbers with THOUSANDS of fake accounts.
Millions or billions.
Bots are most of the trolls we have to block daily.
As real as Biden votes?
SD and CTH is the tip of the spear. Charge and create more avenues for freedom.
We are doing EXACTLY THAT!
God bless you Sundance and team!
When WordPress tried to get rid of the Treehouse, they pushed you to the pioneering edge of innovation.
You made a very wise choice to own your own servers.
Thanks Sundance I didn’t know about signal app, I just began installing and sharing with family.
Who owns signal?
its a usa based non profit.
That, does not answer the original question of ownership.A weaselly answer, you might say……
You could have just looked it up yourself.
Lol, true! So true?
Isn’t WordPress.org also a nonprofit?
I’ve noticed that “nonprofit” and “has my best interests at heart” aren’t often found in the same sentence. (This is an observation, not a critique of your reply.)
Brian Acton and another guy. Non profit org but you can donate. Interesting story.
Marlinspike. Used to work for Twitter. Wiki has full biography.
https://nerdschalk.com/who-owns-signal-app/
Does a good job laying out what is in store:
The jigsaw/google is frightening.
He is good.
That’s an outstanding video. Should be shared everywhere. Thanks for sharing it here.
Thanks so much for posting this! All Treepers should definitely view it and act accordingly.
People are tired of the corruption. Even the Mexican president is defending our president. Lol
https://www.rebelnews.com/mexican_president_attacks_big_tech_over_censorship_of_trump
Just goes to show it doesn’t matter who supported Trump all along, as much as who supports him now, when he’s down and everyone is betraying him. Even his own VP!
I like the president of Mexico and trust him much more than Netanyahoo who stabbed PDJT in the back within 5 days of the election.
Mexico is 1 hour drive from my house in Arizona, it’s actually much closer than the capitol of my own state, who back stabbed President Trump and cheated us all in the election.
Instead of searching thus revealing … what is signal?
SMS type of app with encryption of all messages.
I’m not a tech guy, but I’ve had the thought for years that I would pay money every month to a platform provider that would keep my data private and safe. Give me one stop for email, messaging, videos, and social. No ads (or generic ones) and a contractual obligation that means I, the consumer, am not for sale.
Why doesn’t this exist? As it is now, though, I’ve switched browsers, search engines, messages, book & audiobook providers, and cancelled any relationships I have with Woke Tech.
I would like to see a calendar integration as well. What book & audiobook provider are you now using?
I haven’t picked one yet, but Scribd looks good for both eBook and audiobook. I also use Barnes & Noble’s “Nook” app.
Protonmail
Signal
Protonmail calendar (coming soon).
Greg Protonmail also has a VPN
Tutanota may be of interest to people.
Signal was designed by the WhatsApp creators. I liked the orginal WhatsApp before Fakebook took it over. Used Viber before I ever was on WhatsApp.
Crazy how things evolve. ICQ anyone?
Lol
Oh my gosh….I remember ICQ!
Jabra, Maribella
I miss the days of ICQ, mIRC, and Usenet. The freedom of the WWW.
Usenet. Sigh…
I haven’t used IRC in probably a decade, and the deterioration of my typing skills shows it. ?
I wonder if there are encrypted/private servers & clients these days. I would think and hope so.
I’m imagining how cool an encrypted irc . conservativetreehouse . com could be!
For those who have never heard of it, Internet Relay Chat resembles a text based “CB Radio” type of communication. In this case, it’s probably safe to use Wackypedia to get an overview of the protocol as it’s not currently a political issue.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Relay_Chat
I am married today thanks to ICQ. My then-girlfriend, now wife, and I were separated by 12 time zones for 18 months. We met several nights a week on ICQ. I loved, loved, loved how we could watch each other actually type out sentences in real time…much more like a real conversation because you could start to say one thing (the other person saw it)…then back up and say something else more diplomatically, or more humorously, etc.
6 months after I transferred away, we met up in San Francisco when we both knew we would be in town. It was like we had never been apart. ICQ was low tech, but even to this day I prefer it over the text … wait … ellipsis … wait … wait some more … messaging systems of today.
I think, after reading to this point, I know what the answer is for me.
Up till recently, I stayed away from all things electronic. No cell phone, never was on facebook, never joined twitter, had no futuristic appliances and certainly no Alexa, plus had a cloaked browser.
I don’t use my computer for anything but research, using duckduckgo. I resisted for so long but then I gave up and got a smart phone. I don’t use it for anything but communication with businesses and friends. NOW I’ll go back to life without a smart phone even though it’s my only form of communication. (I don’t even use email) I’ll just communicate up close and in person.
Hopefully, I can fall back in my black hole and be anonymous again because I’m not up to searching for ways to encrypt everything. CTH is my go to place for information and I will continue to read but not comment. We’ll see if I can keep my mouth shut and my fingers still.
I love my country. That’s my biggest crime.
I used to like several BBSs that I frequented. That was in the 90s.
We need a Microsoft alternative. One day you could wake up and find your computer has been deemed non essential.
There is one- it’s called Linux.
It is really not though. I have used so many flavors of Linux over the last 20 years. I can run command line, too. I’m not some luddite.
But it isn’t, and never will be IMO, an alternative to Windows. It just isn’t. An alternative to Windows would have ALL of the good and standardization of Windows, with none of the tracking and evil corporation behind it.
Linux in no way has all the good that Windows does have from a interoperability, usability, app adoption, etc. perspective.
There’s sort of an effort to build an open source windows replacement — roughly at Win XP level. ReactOS started as replacement for Win 98 around 2000, went through some initial pains, but is still under development, looks spiffy, daily commits.
That’s all the good news. the more important news is that it’s still ‘alpha’ and there is no schedule, not even in my opinion an intent that it ever reach ‘beta’ status. I think it’s basically a hobby for a small group of developers who have no interest in delivering a result.
It is possible to download it, and sometimes possible to install the download and run it. It will not operate on most hardware and I can’t name any single machine that will always install/run it. Doesn’t support SSDs, probably not all HDDs, though I can’t say for sure about that. I think the developers run it exclusively in virtual machines so the problems on real hardware are masked.
I’ve had it up a few times over the last four-five years, it’s spiffy — like a cleaned up XP — and last time would install and run FF at up to 31.8. I actually used it for all my browsing and commenting for about three months this time last year; then I downloaded a newer versiont and couldn’t install it. I give it a try every year or so, hoping they’ll pick up a developer who actually wanted to put something out there that a few people could use. There probably are only a single-digit number of bugs keeping it from running FF and a few other applications — but the priority is elsewhere. Someone mentioned ‘virtualization’ but I’ve no idea what that means when applied to a computer OS.
A search will find lots of info but much of it is misleading. If you’ve got a week or so to kill you might figure out how to try it. I got it running on a Dell D610 but as I say it only could be installed ‘sometimes.’
Nothing Microsoft in this house, and never has been.
Linux has been around for a very long time and much better than microsoft.There are more”Flavours”than you can shake a stick at.Personally I like Debian and Mint as my operating system.There is so much that you can do with it that once you are used to it you will NEVER go back.
Too funny….this just happened.
We own a Windows 7 machine that’s about 6 or 7 years old. We had a legitimate Win7 installed on it precisely because we needed to run old apps that we keep to preserve the ability to work on old client projects…so we could still access and review those projects.
We refused to upgrade the machine to preserve its operational state. This allowed us to take new projects by clients that had history with us. This provided some limited income while we were retiring our business. Win 10 wouldn’t cut it because we are engineers that put systems together for clients running the features and drivers of Win7 in some cases.
But Microsoft pushed really hard for us to upgrade…and we wouldn’t. After some time they would screw with some of the settings on the machine. We just reset them when we booted. We kept up the countermeasures until yesterday. Now they are threatening us by saying we have a pirated copy of Win7 installed. We bought the machine new so many years ago….why threaten us now and not then?
Anyway, we are retired and can air gap this machine.
So big brother told us our machine was no longer essential.
Too funny. I was justing using signal when it started not sending my messages. Thought they were attacked. Then i come to good ole CTH and boom, there it is.
yeah, it seems to be down-hard at the moment
I am LOVING techno_fog’s Telegram updates as I am now out of ways to get on Twitter so unable to get alerts like I used to. Now when Techno has something to say – ALWAYS worthwhile – I am alerted. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do Telegram Sundance!
thanks for the update Annie, I did not know techno_fog was on telegram.
Interesting side note, telegrams owner pavel durov claimed the US government agents tried to bribe him into giving them a backdoor into telegram.
All the released Docs are downloaded
https://www.linktr.ee/kagbabe
Why are Strozk texts still blackout?
Bless Your Heart: Probably there are too many references to the past president from Chicago.
I guess debloat our smartphones to get rid of the spyware stuff. Or get ROM that would be secure that we can load onto rooted device. Any suggestions you are using at the moment?
LineageOS
I am a tech dummy…….
Why do I need to get something like Signal or Telegram? Is it an instant messaging system? An Email system? I don’t do PMs much. Do both parties have to be on the same system for it to work/communicate?
Shouldn’t the first step be to get a VPN?
Yes, both parties have to be on the same system. It’s similar to texting but much much more robust, and with texting your cell provider sees it all. My family and I started using telegram as a way to share things like you do on facebook but without all the background noise that facebook brings. Tlegram has no ads, and no one bugs you.
VPNs, depending how implmented and the underlying crypto/key management scheme can help. Just keep in mind that the ISP (i.e., others also) can still perform traffic analysis.
LMAO
SD, as my 95 grandpa said to me- I hope to god I’m dead before the pendulum is in full backswing. Grandson (he used my name) it always comes back and it usually comes back hard and fast.
Interesting. I just installed it and it says it can’t connect to the server. Either all of us are trying again, or Google is blocking my phone!
Captain Obvious here…
If apps like this were really a viable means of getting around surveillance and censorship, would it not also be included in the current purge? Why would they take down a social media alternative like Parler, but leave up other corollary services like Signal? Also, on whose servers does Signal operate? Given the recent events with Parler, that seems like a relevant question to ask. From Signal’s website:
“I trust Signal because it’s well built, but more importantly, because of how it’s built: open source, peer reviewed, and funded entirely by grants and donations. A refreshing model for how critical services should be built.” ~Guess who Jack Dorsey, CEO of Twitter and Square
LOL…………love the “guess who” box………very clever. How did you do that?
The “spoiler” option [+] below the comment box.
Smart phone Apps tracked their users all the way to DC 1/6/21
I don’t know about signal, but telegram is not based in the USA. Authoritarian governments around the world have done their best to undermine it. Hasn’t worked so far.
Run from big tech and don’t look back.
A good VPN is required for anyone trying to maintain their privacy in draconian Post-America.
Got a recommendation?
Proton VPN seems to be pretty good, same organization as Proton Mail.
I use it on both Windows PC and smartphone right now, you can choose routing locations all over the world, including many right in the USA. Seems to work quite well.
Proton Mail is used by Project Veritas for privacy, not sure if CTH uses it as well. Proton Mail offers free accounts, but also sell upgraded paid accounts, and often, bundles of paid email + VPN and other services. Worth looking into.
Nord VPN. You get what you pay for.
Rackspace for email hosting.
My primary concerns are web browsing and emails. I don’t use IMs very much. I am not on social media platforms.
If I have a good VPN on my desktop but link my IPhone to the desktop (Microsoft Outlook email system); is my email and browsing history (on the desktop) protected? Or is the I phone a backdoor into my emails?
I am a techie and don’t use freebies. I use Nordvpn.com
Surf Shark
Partially. They might be able to easily see what you are doing but they can still identify you online through browser fingerprinting.
Fool me once, fool me again etc. etc. wouldn’t it be naive to think Signal won’t be hooked into big tech surveillance at some near time ? Basically, by allowing the mediation of computers, everyone is going to be controlled to an ever increasing extent by the powerful remote bodies. It’s too late probably to expel computers from our lives. Just sayin’, and have been sayin’ for 50 years, with intermittent bouts of irrational optimism.
I don’t trust any mass migration to another app or platform, just because it’s “safe,” for “people like us.” Analog communications are the way to go.
We should join Nellie’s ham radio club!
QSL
https://www.qsl.net/vu2msy/Qcodes.htm
Also maybe worth a look, DIY ham inspired network communication
https://spectrum.ieee.org/geek-life/hands-on/build-a-longdistance-data-network-using-ham-radio
… and other articles also
Back to stamps, lol
I kind of feel the same way. It’s safe “for now”. A few years down the road and then ooops, it’s bought out by someone or “terms of service” have changed. I strongly believe that the best protection is to limit the need for these products, and always keep options open so that you are not vulnerable. People tell me all the time “Text me your address” or whatever. I say “I don’t text”. At that point they are (a) shocked and (b) apparently unable to pick up a pen and write. Really?
Stay a way (Delete) from twitter and facebook, Bug Tech is nothing But communist’s,
after all we The people will Take down CCP Big teck’s,
The ccp has little decks.
Has anyone been reading up on ‘Starlink’? ?
America needs a neutral format for social media just like email. I don’t do any social media but if people could post to any platform, like email goes to any address regardless of your email system, big tech will lose their control. Can you think of a dominant email provider? Don’t like one, choose another from hundreds.
Once we have a neutral cross platform technology, users will choose their provider not for the platform but for other customer service. Just like the “share” buttons here, your platform would allow you to choose wherever you want to post. Only thing needed is a way for small startups to get around the big tech account issues. Email never was an exclusive format for one company by design, and a new neutral format may be required for the future of social media
Whether you call it “collectivism, conmunism or technocracy, it has proven, time and time again, it doesn’t work.
This new generation ghink “Ah, but THIS time, it will work, cause COMPUTERS!
NO, the hoped for “singularity” will not happen.
Computers are fast, dumb adding machines. Make them as big, and fast as you want, they are still machines.
Recently, on CTH I used a word I haven’t used previously, in reference to slo Joe; ALZHEIMERS
Now, I am getting popups for alzheimers treatments. I don’t have it, not in my family history (bloodline) and so the add might as well be for tampons, or any other product I have no need for.
f y cn rd ths, y knw vwls rn’t ndd fr wrtng t ch thr.
Now, once a HUMAN figures out that the sentence above has all the vowels removed, and then writes an algoryrhm to A) discern WHERE the vowels SHOULD be,and then tries out “a,e,i,o,u” in each place, and picks the “most likely” vowel, possibly a computer could be programmed to decrypt the message.
“Artificial” means not the real thing, ersatz or even fake.
Artificial intelligence is a rediculous notion.
As we are seeing right now, a group of humans are struggling because they are NOT able to, SUCCESSFULLY “control” a much larger group of people, thru manipulating their thoughts, otherwise PDJT would NOT have been elected in 2016, and he certainly wouldn’t have been reelected in 2020 with far greater margin.
And this is LARGELY a group of humans, the same group who would be programming this “singularity” ,…”smarter than humans” computer.
Stuff in, stuff out. Conmunism, technocracy doesn’t work, can never work, and computers won’t change that.
Once again, the experiment will fail, because of human nature. How many 100’s of millions will die, as the experiment fails yet again, is the only question.
“The problem isn’t that we have the wrong government. Thats obvious.
The PROBLEM is the PEOPLE. We have the wrong PEOPLE,…they just won’t cooperate!”
Ten scariest words;
“I am from the government (or substitute big tech)and I am here to help!”
I’m not sure that I understand why anyone needs social media.
As for the smaller startups, what tends to happen is that they get bought out by the bigger guys.
Why does CTH page include the button links to social Enemedia? Today I installed Brave as my browser and it works well while cutting off traffic revenue from google See article at American Spectator 01/15/21.
…and, thanks in part to the massive deplatforming of conservatives and the subsequent reporting thereon, Signal is down and I can’t install it.
I’m sure Big Tech planned for that too. No /sarc/!!
Sheeeeeeeesh. The “may you live in interesting times” curse is certainly playing out now. But I doubt it could ever be stopped. When Big Evil is on the march, “interesting times” are just part of the experience.
My interest in changing the way I access the internet, is not PRIMARILY out of the concern of being blacklisted or blackballed, etc. although certainly valid for some.
My lifestyle insulates me, largely from such concerns, at least until we go much further down the road to a totalitarian state.
Like boycotting, with depriving Amazon of my consumer $, I understand Faceplant and Twatter offer to host for “free”, because they harvest and sell data, THATS how they have made their billions.
If enough of us use alternate services like Brave, etc. they lose the constant input of megadata, necesary to keep their business model afloat.
Let them go the way of AOL and Blockbuster.
Along with this, lets collapse the cable/satelite “providers”, that require subscribers to pay $5.00 each month, for CNN which they never watch, but don’t have OAN.
Free market capitalism ain’t free, without choice.
Comcast just yanked all money to any Republican who stood up to the steal.
Please everyone, help me drop Comcast out of our lives.
Been ‘boycotting’ Comcast since Hurricane Sandy. Use DishTV and DSL. Works fine for my needs. ?
Will be there come June.
This vpn analysis and comparison site (independent; “accepts no advertising” – edit: last time I checked) is run by one guy known as “That One Privacy Guy” on the Internet who has been doing this research for years.
It may take you half a day to read it all (not necessary) but in the end you will have an education about vpns, and which are the safest. Tip: The GREENER the better.
https://www.safetydetectives.com/best-vpns/
Another major reason Signal took off is Elon Musk suggested it. Although the advice was hilariously misinterpreted.
Elon Musk’s Two-Word Tweet Sends Wrong Stock Soaring 438% | The Daily Wire
Having been involved in design C4I systems for nearly 20+ years, it still comes down to access to infrastructure and interfaces.
You can encrypt to your hearts desire with the most successful encrytion ever created but if your message can’t be transmitted, what did it gain??
The owners of the Infrastructure require access to the design of encrytion, if one wants to transmit on their pathways. The owners of the Infrastructure and Interfaces are king until truly OPEN and FREE alternatives appear, yet even they will require knwledge from under the hood to create interfaces.
Please pardon my ignorance and humor me by allowing me to ask so questions. I am not all that educated about electronics communications or, as some have called it, signals communications.
Is Signal used on a computer via an Internet website, on a cellphone via an Internet website, or on a cellphone via a cellphone App?
If it is based on a computer via an Internet website, what prevents my Internet activity on that website from being monitored?
If it is based on a computer via an Internet website, what prevents my Internet activity on that website from being blocked?
If it is a cellphone via an Internet website, what prevents my Internet activity on that website from being monitored?
If it is a cellphone via an Internet website, what prevents my Internet activity on that website from being blocked?
If it is a cellphone via a cellphone App, what prevents that App from being monitored?
If it is a cellphone via a cellphone App, what prevents that App from being blocked?
I’m using an iPhone solely because The Maha Rushie is so enthusiastic about Apple products. It is the only Apple product that I have.
Nothing prevents. Even on Apple.
All apps and routers are hackable.
If any of you here are having trouble deciding between Signal or Telegram, you could simply look up the countries where each company is headquartered in:
Signal Foundation is headquartered in Mountain View, California.
The entire Telegram team currently operates in Dubai.
Source (1): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Signal_Foundation
Source (2): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telegram_(software)
Telegram it is then.
What would happen if millions of people started searching for stuff that they didn’t want or care about? What if all the information being sold was false? It would be like lying to pollsters. Just thinking out loud.. What if?
That’s actually a good idea and if widespread enough it would work. BIG TECH wouldn’t be able to trust their BIG DATA.
Butterfly War !!!
Turtle eyelashes for example.
This from Armstrong is fitting and also why they try and hide what most of us know. I know Sundance has talked much about this too.
https://www.armstrongeconomics.com/international-news/politics/impeachment-urgent-clarification-that-divides-country/
I don’t understand why the addiction to social media and smart phones. We functioned just fine only 10-15 years without them.
I still do.
I like how they say that it was false that Whatsapp shares data with Fascist-book.
The grandma scrapbook autistic midget billionaire Zucker borg steals all your private messages on Fake book.
There is zero chance his CCP style app doesn’t do the same.
Cancel culture is evil and terrifying, but Twitter users remind me of the joke where the man tells his doctor “Doc, it hurts when I do this”, and the doctor replies “Then don’t do that”.
Literally no one needs to use Twitter. It’s as if the sellers of spats decided to triple the price overnight, or only sell spats to certain preferred people. If going without spats, because the fashion accessory is so important to your image or your self-esteem, is traumatic to you, you’re too silly to live. And most people today don’t know what spats were, like most people have never used Twitter.
Let Twitter and Facebook go the way of spats.
We went from politely not talking about things, to puking every random thought onto the internet, to hating anybody who disagrees with us, to banning from society anyone who agrees with us, to being afraid of everybody because they might report us to the Official Government Party for thought crimes…in the span of just 10 years.
True hokkoda and some people went to doing this instantly.
Spewing every thought that goes through their heads at the moment it appears in their minds.
They feel the need to share everything with every one all day long.
I will never understand this.
From the horses (arse) mouth: ““I trust Signal because it’s well built, but more importantly, because of how it’s built: open source, peer reviewed, and funded entirely by grants and donations. A refreshing model for how critical services should be built.” Jack Dorsey
https://www.signal.org/
The CIA, by hacking your phone directly, can bypass any encryption from these apps. Doesn’t matter what you use. There is no more privacy.
Here is one example.
As did Elon Musk
Frankly, this has me suspect.
And the people bowed and prayed to the neon god they made ~ The Sound of Silence, indeed.
Express VPN for years – to avoid those nastygrams from CONcast about my download habits.
Have been on signal for awhile now – mainly for stuff I don’t care to discuss “in the open”. Recommended by a PMC friend of mine. I also have a set of four Walkie Talkies sitting (with a mild security feature) in the charger in my office, in case me and 4 other “friends” have to go mobile and secure.
There was a huge outage of ATT down here (SoFla) – many landlines, cells and internet connectivity went down. In a “crisis” (real or manufactured) the best way to keep “the masses” in check, is to take out all comms. Best to have a backup. Walkies for short range, CB – although easily jammed, or HAM (wish I hadn’t dumped my gear when the obsession passed).
If you believe 1/2 the stuff the FBI and media are throwing out there – we’re seconds away from massive insurrection (and 12/6 was akin to PEARL HARBOR according to Schmuck Schumer – if it happened on 12/7, the simile would be even more laughable).
For the first time in a LONG TIME – I have NO IDEA what the future holds. I changed my voter reg to NPA (even though I said I wouldn’t) and if 74 million DJT voters did likewise, it would scare the bejesus out of the R party (at least the D’s smile at you, and give you a reach around when they butt-rape you).
ANY OF THESE APPS, has the potential for compromise. I didn’t really dig into the code reviews for Signal – but if the “friends” that recommend it are using it, it’s likely reasonably secure at the moment. Yes I still have my mobile device – I still have to run my business – yes, it can be tracked. But if it REALLY GETS THAT OVER THE TOP – they know where to find me anyways (come and get some).
The issue with mobile device secure comms – is similar to the Parler thing. Apple/Google removes them – and then everyone has to jailbreak their phones to use them. While I HAVE the tech expertise to JB – most folks will end up WITH A BRICK (and no warranty).
Things are just getting STRANGER AND STRANGER EVERY DAY…
Rick
And wouldn’t you know it – signal stopped working. Too many new signups?
Yes mine too
I am on signal but today I am not able to send the above hi tech video to my sister abroad. What is going on? It is so weird.
Does anyone have the expertise to really check that Ts*gn*l is working as advertised ? All that most users would know is that their messages are being reliably exchanged. How does that tell anyone they are secure ? It could all just be window dressing and no-one would know. Except … mua-hua-hua …
With android you can load apps that aren’t in the play store.
“Dear Apple, Google,
It’s time. Remove Signal.
All the best!
–Swamp Thing”
You know it’s going to happen, because all the “insurrectionists” are making use of it.
I have a FitBit. Today FitBit announced that it has been acquired by Google. For those who don’t know, FitBit tracks heart rates, exercise habits, sleep patterns, diet and more. So not only has Google knocked out another competitor, they get to track when people go to sleep and what they eat for breakfast? What an Orwellian nightmare! I deleted the tracking app from my phone. Not sure if I should wear the watch.
https://www.techradar.com/news/google-finalizes-fitbit-acquisition-despite-continuing-antitrust-investigations
Put it on your dogs collar, if you have one.
I read a few years ago about Tim Berners Lee, one of the early architects of the internet, who said he was appalled at what social media has become. He said it would be workable to have a structure such that you own your identifying information and are able to control who gets it. Unlike now, where the tech giants just scoop it up because they can.
This would probably require the internet to become a regulated utility that we pay for.
This reminds me of how Bill Binney and Dennis Montgomery invented Thin Thread, which could monitor metadata without violating the fourth amendment. It was rejected and the NSA has been scooping up our data for years now.
I’m just curious as to why the “updated” dates in the side by side graphic are the same January 12.
How does a person download these apps? Do you have to get them from either apple or android?
Praying for calm in this storm and thanking Jesus for all good advice and wisdom shared here. God bless.
The big lie is “SOLD” by Con-gress while mutually supported via collusion by social media