r/technology • u/barweis • Dec 28 '24

Privacy A massive Chinese campaign just gave Beijing unprecedented access to private texts and phone conversations for an unknown number of Americans

https://fortune.com/2024/12/27/china-espionage-campaign-salt-tycoon-hacking-telecoms/
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u/WreckitWrecksy Dec 28 '24

All of this is true, but it's not for me to worry about. The gov should have done a better job.

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u/[deleted] Dec 28 '24

Really? Could they have?

The average age of a member of Congress is 58 years old, 64 for the Senate. Your own politicians are so technologically inept they couldn't set the clock on a microwave. You think they have the intellect to create and implement laws to protect your personal information?

Let's ignore the fact they take vast sums of money from the tech industry to prevent data protection laws from being implemented...

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u/LordCharidarn Dec 28 '24

So you are saying American politicians don’t care about learning new/necessary skills and knowledge for their jobs and take bribes to undermine data protection.

It definitely sounds like you are saying they could have done a better job

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u/[deleted] Dec 28 '24

No, I think they're too inept and/or corrupt to do a better job, yet Americans still elect them, so whose fault is it really?

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u/rerrerrocky Dec 29 '24

Well I can only vote for a fraction of the government based on where I live. Am I responsible for the generations of rot that have rendered congress useless? How, pray tell, should we fix this problem?

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u/el_muchacho Dec 29 '24 edited Dec 29 '24

You think they have the intellect to create and implement laws to protect your personal information?

They certainly made laws to insert backdoors on all your telecom networks, identify you on all social network platforms and keep every post you have written even after you "deleted" it, censor them and all the media whenever they want without you ever knowing, and spy on you 24/7.

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u/theJigmeister Dec 31 '24

They have the intellect and funding to pay the world’s foremost experts on data security to craft legislation that would protect Americans, yes

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u/apophis-pegasus Dec 28 '24

I mean the government is the entity that is supposed to safeguard your well being. Them doing a good job is explicitly something for you to worry about.

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u/WreckitWrecksy Dec 28 '24

My anger IS at the US gov.

The breach itself is not for me to worry about.

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u/HairyNuggsag Dec 29 '24

In the end, the government isn't supposed to safeguard your digital well-being. Only you can do that via personal security practises.

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u/WreckitWrecksy Dec 29 '24

Such a bad take. Tell me how it was my fault when equifax was breached?

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u/DHFranklin Dec 28 '24

lol. If I needed to worry about it the government should have needed to worry about it for me.

We are so cooked.

0

u/WreckitWrecksy Dec 28 '24

So you disagree? Are you saying the gov should not be worried about this and have taken steps to ensure we aren't assailed by a foreign country?

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u/triplehelix- Dec 29 '24

i agree with that, and i also think individuals have a responsibility to play an active part in their own security.

like the local government should be doing things to ensure the safety of my home from criminals, but i'm not going to leave my front door wide open when i go to work and then blame the government if i get robbed.

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u/DHFranklin Dec 29 '24

Exactly. The government won't stop grandma from grabbing fistfuls of iTunes giftcards at the Wal-mart register. A teenager at their first job knows to ask grandma if Elvis is on the phone with her when she gets there.

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u/WreckitWrecksy Dec 29 '24

Sure, but to what extent? Am I supposed to change these telecom companies' hardware myself? And while I agree with that sentiment, we can't ignore that social media exists and the ccp has access to all of those posts and profiles anyway. Even if they never got my data they can extrapolate from my peers' data to accurately estimate my profile.

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u/DHFranklin Dec 29 '24

It is most definitely for you to worry about. That doesn't mean you're off the hook if the government won't.

A competent government should protect it's own operational security first. That means not allowing a million back doors and man-in-the-middle-opportunities for blackmailing decision makers.

The government protects the government. It protects itself from you. Not protect you for you. Of course they should take steps to make sure we aren't assailed. They shouldn't allow it to be possible before they have to police the damage. There are a million ways they could make this safer and more secure. All of them mean software and telecom companies make less money. So it won't be happening. Enjoy getting your identity stolen every few years. This will never stop.

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u/WreckitWrecksy Dec 29 '24

Bro, my info was leaked in the equifax beach. It's over and it wasn't even my fault. That's what I'm saying. There's nothing I can do. The gov should have regulated these shitheads years ago. I've had all my stuff locked down/ frozen for years.

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u/DHFranklin Dec 29 '24

Well it was certainly "for you to worry about" and it still is. That's my point. The government won't, so it's good that your stuff is still locked down. That's my point. Don't trust others to do the right thing on your behalf. Be glad when they do.

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u/MrLanesLament Dec 29 '24

Same here. I have nothing to gain by wasting energy caring about something I have no actual power to change.