Kako naši pametni telefoni vohunijo za nami in kaj lahko storite, da se temu izognete

This is an opinion editorial by Anthony Feliciano, a Bitcoin event organizer and consultant.

Ni skrivnost, da živimo v stanje množičnega nadzora. Tehnologija, ustvarjena, da bi nam pomagala biti energetsko učinkovitejša in produktivnejša družba, je zdaj naša največja grožnja naši zasebnosti in neodvisni blaginji. Oglejte si okolico – od pametnih hladilnikov do pametnih žarnic, kamer za varuške do pametnih televizorjev, računalnikov, Ring, Google Nest, Alexa and our smartphones are all capable of being used to spy on us, and that’s just the list of equipment that is doing it before you step outside of your house. They’re all equipped with cameras, sensors and microphones that watch and monitor our every move, emotion and action. Many people will point to the Patriotski zakon, ko je ameriška vlada pod krinko »nacionalne varnosti« začela vohuniti za komunikacijo lastnih državljanov.

This will be a two article series, starting with the piece that explains “why” — why you should begin to formulate an opt out plan when it comes to your smartphone, even more so if you are a Bitcoiner. The “why” doesn’t necessarily apply to only Bitcoiners but for anyone looking to regain their privacy, like journalists and/or people who live in oppressive regimes.

The second part will be the “how” — I’ll provide you with tools and options to help you begin your opt out journey while still being able to use Bitcoin.

Kako ponudniki mobilnih storitev vohunijo za nami:

I’ll start with cellular providers and talk about some of the tools at their disposal that are currently employed. Some of these terms and tools you probably have heard before, but might not be sure how they work. The important takeaway to remember is that the information captured from these tools can be subject to sodne pozive odvetniki ali vladne agencije.

• Pametni telefoni z blagovno znamko operaterja: To so telefoni, ki jih »najamete« pri katerem koli operaterju po programu mesečnega plačevanja. Prednaložene so s tono aplikacij, ki so označene z blagovno znamko operaterja in jih ni mogoče odstraniti. Večina aplikacij je specifičnih za operaterja in beležijo podatke, ki jih vnesete vanje, ter sledijo drugim aplikacijam.

AT&T Secure Family in aplikacija Google Play sta dva primera – "Poiščite svojo družino, nadzorujte otrokov čas zaslona in upravljajte njegovo uporabo telefona."

Ključne značilnosti vključujejo:

• This app may share data with third parties.
• This app may collect location and personal info.
• Data is encrypted in transit.
• Data cannot be deleted.

• Mobile OS: A mobile OS is the operating system your smartphone uses, and is like a version of the Windows, macOS or Ubuntu on your personal computer. Today the smartphone market is dominated by two players. Google and Apple. By agreeing to the “terms and conditions” to use Google or Apple services, we give access to every aspect of our life, both private and public, to them. When people complain about Big Tech spying on us, it’s really our own fault since we don’t have to use any of these services.

*Opomba: razpravljal bom o dveh projektih za pomoč uporabnikom Androida pri njihovem načrtu za zavrnitev. Oprostite, Applovi uporabniki, počakati boste morali, dokler ne bo postalo lažje narediti jailbreak iPhone.

• Apps: Too many of them are on our smartphones. When was the last time you downloaded an app that didn’t need access to every part of your phone to work? Nearly every app we download needs access to our contacts, phone, texts, photos, GPS location etc. All with the emphasis on “collecting information for better customer experience.” With the rise of malware apps targeting cryptocurrency users, shouldn’t we be paying more attention to the apps we install and the permissions given to them, since we too have Bitcoin and LN apps that reside on our phones as well?

• Trilateracija: GPS. Naši mobilni telefoni nenehno oddajajo signale, ki želijo prejeti signale »potrditev« iz bližnjih baznih postaj. Več stolpov, s katerimi se povežejo naši pametni telefoni, boljša je natančnost pri določanju vaše lokacije na čevlje natančno.

*Note: Not even turning off your GPS is foolproof. That is because our smartphones are still connected to nearby towers via the radio inside them. This won’t pinpoint your exact location but just enough to provide the necessary information as to your whereabouts at a particular time.

• Napadi zamenjave kartice SIM: This is when a scammer is able to pose as you (through social engineering), and calls your cell service provider to trick them into porting over your cell number to a SIM in their possession. The goal is to receive one-time access codes to your accounts. In Bitcoin terms, the targets here are usually centralized exchanges. This was the case when a scammer used a sim-swap attack to receive a one-time code and withdraw the victim’s kriptovaluta. There are many other such horror stories involving SIM swap attacks with the goal to clean out someone’s crypto accounts.

• Stingrays: Physical hardware used by government agencies around the world. The premise behind the attack is that Stingrays operate as “fake” cell phone towers by providing a stronger signal, so that your smartphone believes it is talking to a nearby tower, when in fact, some agency is operating as the man-in-the-middle, recording all data (text, calls, and data) transmitted from the person of interest. The major issue with this, anyone who happens to wander by the intended target has all of their information captured as well. Everyone in the vicinity’s privacy is at risk when this tactic is used.

• Social, political or economic injustice rallies: If there was ever more of an example on why you should use a burner phone or privacy focused device for these events, it was the fallout from the Rally kanadskih tovornjakarjev in dogodki iz Januar 6, 2021. V mesecih po dogodkih so vlade sodelovale z Big Tech, da bi izslediti in aretirati množica ljudi, samo z ogledom njihovih virov v družabnih omrežjih ali s sodnim pozivom na telefonske zapise mobilnih operaterjev. Ti zapisi mobilnih telefonov so bili uporabljeni za ugotavljanje, ali ste bili kje blizu takih protestov, da bi preganjali posameznike. To moram še enkrat poudariti, nikoli ne prinesite svojega dnevnega telefona na tak shod. Vedno imejte s seboj rezervni telefon, ki ga lahko zavržete ali uničite ne glede na vse.

Kako začeti z odjavo

Za začetek pojdite na Calyx OS or Graphene OS to do some light reading. These two projects are similar in nature and offer a great alternative mobile OS that is free of Google services and all the tracking included. Their respective websites have a list of compatible devices and installation guides. The two projects have grown the most in popularity amongst Bitcoiners. I will post links to apps I use for privacy as well as Bitcoin and LN apps that you can use in conjunction with a de-Googled phone, so you can still use Bitcoin without all the spying and tracking.

Privacy is a right, we all should remember, and not take it lightly or sacrifice it for convenience. Nothing is 100% secure and private, unless you are planning to go live off the grid in the mountains. If your wife isn’t thrilled about that idea, at least begin to explore an opt out plan when it comes to communications and Bitcoin.

This is a guest post by Anthony Feliciano. Opinions expressed are entirely their own and do not necessarily reflect those of BTC Inc or Bitcoin Magazine.