Everyone knows your location: tracking myself down through in-app ads

Related?

NSA Warns iPhone and Android Users–Disable Location Tracking https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42713536

Hackers Claim Breach of Location Data Giant, Threaten to Leak Data https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42627336

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It’s funny how in recent headlines the NSA & FBI have been saying to use secure messaging app. Yet the FBI is infamous for claiming the need for back doors into these encrypted apps. What are we to think of the opposing views? Are they really being benevolent for the citizens, or do they no longer need the back door, or do they have a back door whether intentional or not?

It seems that they have changed their minds about surveillance back doors, after some devastating attacks, where Chinese state actors (among others) used back doors created for compliance with warrants to get in.

But that was the pre-Trump NSA and FBI. Now the Chinese and the Russians just need to get some DOGE volunteer to give them whatever they want, since Elon now has root on all the government payment systems and is too undisciplined to do things in a secure way.

The world is changing fast and reasons for actions may be more complex and interesting than you assume.

Were they ever _not_ benevolent to US citizens as a whole, even if misguided? There may be last-ditch attempts to extend benevolence to US citizens as a takeover looms. If leaks from the Office of Personnel Management are to be believed, then right now US government is in the process of a soft coup, being dismantled along lines of political loyalty. I expect those working in intelligence and law enforcement who support democracy see the writing on the wall and will act sooner or later.

Reliable end to end encryption is an important tool for citizens of a nation that may need to organise in a hurry. We might see new Edward Snowden type revelations of programmes, naming key people or giving clear advice not to trust certain US based entities or services. Civil servants may act professionally as non-politically as they can, but in the end, if only to protect their jobs, they're going to come down on the side of democracy.

> What are we to think of the opposing views?

They're not homogenous organizations. Not sure about the FBI, but AFAIK the NSA has always been in an awkward spot of being split between defensive and offensive missions. It wouldn't be particularly surprising to have one arm going "you should all use encrypted messaging, it's the most secure" while the other arm is frantically trying to break or backdoor said encrypted messaging.