"That's a text message that thousands of Ukrainian protesters spontaneously received on their cell phones today, as a new law prohibiting public demonstrations went into effect. It was the regime's police force, sending protesters the perfectly dystopian text message to accompany the newly minted, perfectly dystopian legislation. In fact, it's downright Orwellian (and I hate that adjective, and only use it when absolutely necessary, I swear).
But that's what this is: it's technology employed to detect noncompliance, to hone in on dissent. The NY Times reports that the "Ukrainian government used telephone technology to pinpoint the locations of cell phones in use near clashes between riot police officers and protesters early on Tuesday." Near. Using a cell phone near a clash lands you on the regime's hit list. "
The Ukrainian police no doubt learned this trick from the NSA. How long until this happens here in the states? A practical use for all that surveillance indeed, and it should send chills down your spine.
Hat tip: Gorges Grouse
Leave your cell phone at home - or pull the battery until you need it...if you're going somewhere that you think somebody will be interested in.
ReplyDeleteDo not own a cellphone at all, if you're concerned about privacy and/ or OpSec.
ReplyDelete/RAF
(this comment was written on a smartphone a.k.a The All-Purpose, Target Supplied Spying Device)
I don't think that the problem is owning per se. It's using it... ;^)
DeleteWell, yes. But the phone can easily be used against you, even though you did not bring it along for the actual event. So if you are concerned about unwanted interest, then do not own a mobile phone at all.
ReplyDeleteI know this from practical experience: What the user thinks of "using" a mobile phone can be a lot different from what the phone actually does. This has helped me put criminals in prison - even criminals smart enough to turn off their phones while they were committing their crimes.
Without even getting into the technical aspects of "Spying by Phone", I will say this:
You *might* be able to control what you SEND on your phone (Well, you can't, actually, but let's assume you can). You still cannot control what you RECEIVE on your phone, and from who.
Say you're planning to attend some "event". Being smart, you leave your phone at home. Yet, you received a text about the "event" on that phone before you left, meaning you're compromised.
Or maybe a buddy called you a month before the event, about something entirely not connected to the event... but your buddy brought *his* phone to the event.... meaning you're BOTH compromised.
Or: Your buddy was smart to leave his phone behind also, but he got arrested at the event/ near the event/ or just because. The Regime find his phone at his home. Meaning you're compromised.
Or (and this is the scary part) the Regime can simply collect all the phone and internet data on everybody, and compromise the poo out of anyone even remotely connected to *anything* and *anybody* at the event - without ever physically doing anything, or even being at the event.
See how it works? Phones leave traces to other phones. Phones are connected to physical people. All the Regime has to do is follow a trace. *Any* trace.
And do not think that using anonymous pay-as-you-go SIM-cards will solve your problems. Criminals do this all the time, and they get caught anyway. It is just a matter of effort.
George Orwell would crap his pants if he knew that ordinary citizens in our age voluntarily own mobile phones.
Of course, there are many ways of spying that do not involve mobile phones. But why make it easy for the Regime by voluntarily owning a device easily usable for wiretapping/ voice recording/ GPS-tracking/ listing of accomplices?
I DO own a phone myself, but I am very aware of what it is: A huge privacy violation.
/RAF