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205 points ColinWright | 2 comments | | HN request time: 0.408s | source
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cherryteastain ◴[] No.45083061[source]
Answer is yes. But 'safety' is not the reason for the recent Google move.

It is a move taken in lockstep with EU's Chat Control and UK's Online Safety Act, and the proposed Kids Online Safety Act in the US. The common objective of all is total control of digital lives of citizens and allowing the government to snoop on all internet communication while not disabling end to end encryption. They need end to end encryption to lock out external adversaries (Russia China etc) but they need to see the contents of encrypted messages to monitor internal adversaries.

First step is blocking you from running any apps not allowed by Google/Apple.

Second step is putting in the systems to snoop on end to end encrypted communication apps on the endpoints, enabling intel agencies to detect thoughtcrime without exposing everyone's chats to Chinese/Russian intelligence. This will most likely be done by OSes recognizing the apps and extracting private keys on demand.

Last step is locking the bootloaders so you cannot have a phone which lacks the 'features' added in the second step.

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1. like_any_other ◴[] No.45084411[source]
We should be asking the opposite question - is it possible to give control over our computers to a handful of corporations and government, and remain safe from tyranny. Try starting a new political party, or even climbing up the ranks of an existing one, when the establishment knows every wrong opinion or indiscretion, of you and your associates, from when you were a toddler onward.
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2. cherryteastain ◴[] No.45086941[source]
> is it possible to give control over our computers to a handful of corporations and government, and remain safe from tyranny.

You have already given in to tyranny when you've given that total control.