Every time I log into Fedi, I see another post with a guide called something like "Activist's Guide to Smartphones" or "Phone Security Guide for Protesters," and every single one of these assumes that the threat model is the kind of police force that exists under liberal democracy where the law will afford significant protections to protesters. The world is changing, and these guides not only fail to address the threat of an actively hostile fascistic anti-democratic occupying force (I refer here to the police), but such guides generally are limited to "what" and "how" but miss the more critical "why."
If you believe that you are facing fascism (or even something close to it), can I please please please convince you to read something written by anarchists who have faced serious repression and are trying to convey just how much phones can lead to the imprisonment of you and your friends for even things that are allegedly "legal."
https://opsec.riotmedicine.net/downloads#mobile-phone-security
Overwhelmingly these guides seem to come from InfoSec or civil liberties focused individuals, groups, or NGOs, but bloody hell, the danger they face tends to pale in comparison to what radicals face, and the level of concern they have is likely far lower than it should be. Watching across the pond at this advice circulating, all I can think is that such liberal notions of rights are security are going to get activists killed or imprisoned for life.
(not that my advice is perfect. always get a second source. compare what we/i have written to these liberal guides, and diligently study where and how they diverge.)
and you're not even addressing the manufacturer's spying.
i'm always telling people "it's not your phone - it belongs to the manufacturer, and everything you do is logged by the OS."
no matter how many times the OS providers and other tech megacorps are caught watching and listening in on the users, despite the 'setting,' people still fantasize about 'privacy' on smartphones.
@hakan_geijer
Also from another essay "Confidence, Courage, Connection, Trust: A proposal for security culture. 2019" they propose updating the two nevers from something like:
"Never talk about your or someone else's involvement in illegal activity. Never talk about someone else's interest in illegal activity.”
to “Never talk about your or someone else's involvement in activity that risks being criminalized. Never talk about someone else's interest in criminalized activity.”
but the author recognizes that this framing is inadequate too. https://www.notrace.how/resources/read/confidence-courage-connection-trust.html
Nothing said on surveilled social media is meaningful. The more bold and defying, the more subject to corruption and coopting.
The revolution will not be televised. Or elevated by the status quo. Or given the win by the referee.
And the pundits will bicker with the winners. Because that's their bread and butter.
> Nothing said on surveilled social media is meaningful.
Social media is real life. We're real people talking to each other. We might both right now understand the limits to what we can say without attracting attention, but that doesn't mean that we can't exchange ideas.
> The revolution will not be televised.
That phrase doesn't mean what most people think it does.
"Real life" means actions that have consequences.
Opinions on social media are the result of moderators, who monetize the drama of conflict.
Nahhh . . . it's play-acting without consequences. "Social media is reality" is a selling-point for advertisers. Actions have consequences, not content in a medium controlled by algorithms.
@_chris_real @hakan_geijer posts can definitely have consequences (mostly ones we don’t want), which is why people should be careful about what they post
@hakan_geijer A lot of these guides also forget about smartphone XLs, also known as "cars". Your Tesla is on AT&T IoT, your Kia is on Verizon IoT solutions... If it has an LCD screen or has OnStar, it has a SIM card. Removing the SIM card isn't enough, as the car will still transmit its IMEI and MEID to the tower which can be tracked back to a VIN and thus you. Learn how to remove the telematics unit, and be prepared to drive in silence if it's a part of your radio. You may have to arrange different transportation, as some cars won't start without the radio or telematics unit on the canbus.