Scoopta comments on Why do criminals use their own encrypted messaging platforms, instead of using any of the recommended apps?

Why do criminals use their own encrypted messaging platforms, instead of using any of the recommended apps? (www.europol.europa.eu)

submitted 2 years ago* by Joker@sh.itjust.works to c/privacy@programming.dev

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Does that mean that other apps like signal for example have back doors?

Do criminals have a knowledge of exploits in the recommended messaging apps?

[–] Scoopta@programming.dev 1 point 2 years ago (5 children)

Theoretically signal only has your phone number and time of sign up which means theoretically it shouldn't matter if the legal system asks them for information.

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[–] FizzyOrange@programming.dev 9 points 2 years ago (2 children)

... theoretically. In practice if the NSA used a secret court order that banned them from talking about it and made them update the app to reveal plaintext for one particular person, I don't see how they could get out of that (other than by breaking the law and risking jail).

I think the chances of that are very small though.

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[–] prex@aussie.zone 7 points 2 years ago

There is legislation in Australia that allows precicely this. Then 5 eyes or Interpol or whatever for everyone else.

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[–] Scoopta@programming.dev 3 points 2 years ago*

...that's a terrifying but also plausible prospect. Guess it's a reason not to use the published app and instead build it yourself.

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[–] refalo@programming.dev 7 points 2 years ago* (1 child)

Yea and if a nation-state knows your phone number, they can track your exact whereabouts in real-time. Let's not pretend like we know better than them about what information matters :)

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[–] Scoopta@programming.dev 2 points 2 years ago

...yeah and if they went to signal to ask about you they're going to provide signal your phone number as it's the only identifier they have in their system...so the nation state already had that to begin with, it isn't sensitive info despite what it can be used for.

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