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2071 points K0nserv | 2 comments | | HN request time: 0.158s | source
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zmmmmm ◴[] No.45088995[source]
> In this context this would mean having the ability and documentation to build or install alternative operating systems on this hardware

It doesn't work. Everything from banks to Netflix and others are slowly edging out anything where they can't fully verify the chain of control to an entity they can have a legal or contractual relationship with. To be clear, this is fundamental, not incidental. You can't run your own operating system because it's not in Netflix's financial interest for you to do so. Or your banks, or your government. They all benefit from you not having control, so you can't.

This is why it's so important to defend the real principles here not just the technical artefacts of them. Netflix shouldn't be able to insist on a particular type of DRM for me to receive their service. Governments shouldn't be able to prevent me from end to end encrypting things. I should be able to opt into all this if I want more security, but it can't be mandatory. However all of these things are not technical, they are principles and rights that we have to argue for.

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wolvesechoes ◴[] No.45090433[source]
> However all of these things are not technical

You understand it, but even in this thread you have people proposing solutions like switching from traditional banking to bitcoin, stoping using Netflix and starting torrenting again etc.

Tech crowd always tries to solve non-technical problems through technical means, and this is why I don't have much hope.

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staplers ◴[] No.45090647[source]
Technical solutions and alternatives can provide enough leverage for the common citizen to force the hand of those in power. It might not fully "solve" the issue, but making it easier to route around will always force those in power to bend somewhat.
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1. franga2000 ◴[] No.45090702{3}[source]
In practice the opposite happens - when new technical workarounds are popularized, more technical solutions are found to prevent them and legislation is proposed to mandate them.

Look at Chat Control in the EU: they started with mandating server-side scanning. Nobody liked that so everyone implemented E2EE. Now there's a new law that adds mandatory client-side scanning.

Most of my tech-brained friends are saying "whatever, we'll just compile from source or use alternative means of distribution. But is that becomes popular, what's the next step? I'm fully expecting the EU's to then try to mandate the service providers need to ensure their apps aren't tampered with, which can only be done by locking devices down to official means of distribution and implementing end-to-end cryptographic attestation. Then we truly are out of options.

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2. krige ◴[] No.45090868[source]
> whatever, we'll just compile from source or use alternative means of distribution.

google is clamping on this already so yeah