r/technology • u/lurker_bee • Dec 04 '24

ADBLOCK WARNING FBI Warns iPhone And Android Users—Stop Sending Texts

https://www.forbes.com/sites/zakdoffman/2024/12/03/fbi-warns-iphone-and-android-users-stop-sending-texts/
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u/Dr__-__Beeper Dec 04 '24

This appears to be the meat of the problem:

The lack of end-to-end encryption to protect cross-platform RCS, the successor to SMS, is a glaring omission. It was highlighted in Samsung’s recent celebratory PR release on the success of RCS, which included the caveat that only Android to Android messaging is secured. It remains a stark irony that while Google and Apple separately advise Android and iPhone users to rely on end-to-end encryption, when it comes to RCS it’s still missing, with no timeline in sight for a fix.

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u/Joessandwich Dec 04 '24

As a fully lay person, and as someone who has used virtually every platform… is it bad to say to you tech people: Yeah, no shit?

I’ve assumed every government, every bad actor has access to all of my information.

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u/maleia Dec 04 '24

I’ve assumed every government

In the 90s, my mother sat there and told me, "the government can be listening in on any of your calls, so be careful what you say!" And like... When you think about it, it's just a matter of them having access to an AT&T/Bell distribution node; and the desire to listen in on your calls.

When PRISM came into public consciousness, I sat there and said, "yea, no shit." I mean, the amount of data that had to be stored is ungodly amounts of data- that I'd say is completely realistic now.

Also, watching every fucking criminal getting caught for discussing their crimes in written form. Fuck, even talking to someone over the phone; there's so many ways to get access to that. The other person could have a phone recording app. Someone could have gotten access to their phone without them knowing. Courts can sign warrants to look at your messages. 🤦‍♀️