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Don't look now, but no matter where you go, you're connected. We -- or most of us, at least -- have opened our front doors to large corporations, hardware manufacturers, software firms and search engines. We have allowed them to rifle through our jacket pockets and handbags. And now they can do as they wish with us, or do the bidding of the powers-that-be -- in the form of a totalitarian government, for example.
In other words, it is not just the power of the manufacturers over the users of their devices that is growing as a result of tethered appliances -- indirectly the power of the state is also growing. They are able to put enough pressure on any manufacturer to force it to help out with monitoring or control of private individuals. Anyone who believes that large companies would not bend to the will of autocrats and dictators just needs to take a look at the situation in China, where search engines and Internet providers do exactly what the Chinese government tells them to do.
A dramatic example of Zittrain's thesis occurred recently in the United Arab Emirates. Wired magazine and The Register reported how the local Internet provider, Etisalat, sent out a software update to around 145,000 of their Blackberry customers. However, thanks to a software glitch that caused the battery power in all the affected Blackberrys to be drained, it was discovered that the software update also included surveillance software.
The spying part of the software was switched off -- but all it needed was a command from the Internet server and the Blackberrys would send e-mail and text messages in an encrypted form to an unknown recipient. IT experts believe the intended recipient was local security forces. To date, Etisalat has not made a statement in response to the allegations. The company's sole response has been a curt press release stating that the reason for the update was simply "to improve the service quality."
abcnews.go.com...
Originally posted by fraterormus
Well, that would explain why Blackberry implements a Proprietary E-Mail protocol rather than the decades old POP3 protocol and the almost as aged, 23-year old IMAP protocol.
Basically, Blackberry e-mail does not work with any Mail Server on the planet with the exception of one run by Blackberry. If you want your Blackberry to retrieve your Hotmail, Yahoo!, ISP, or other e-mail, you have to configure Blackberrry's Server to get that e-mail using common protocols, and your Blackberry then retrieves the e-mail from Blackberry's server. This allows Blackberry to play Man-In-The-Middle and intercept every single e-mail.
Anyone not using common, open protocols is up to no good. It's easy enough for an agency to take advantage of the POP3 and IMAP protocols to intercept e-mail, but when someone isn't even transparent about hiding what they are doing, then your privacy is clearly not your concern.
Originally posted by fraterormus
Well, that would explain why Blackberry implements a Proprietary E-Mail protocol rather than the decades old POP3 protocol and the almost as aged, 23-year old IMAP protocol.
Basically, Blackberry e-mail does not work with any Mail Server on the planet with the exception of one run by Blackberry. If you want your Blackberry to retrieve your Hotmail, Yahoo!, ISP, or other e-mail, you have to configure Blackberrry's Server to get that e-mail using common protocols, and your Blackberry then retrieves the e-mail from Blackberry's server. This allows Blackberry to play Man-In-The-Middle and intercept every single e-mail.
Anyone not using common, open protocols is up to no good. It's easy enough for an agency to take advantage of the POP3 and IMAP protocols to intercept e-mail, but when someone isn't even transparent about hiding what they are doing, then your privacy is clearly not your concern.
Originally posted by EarthQuake
i wonder if that is just in reguards to the Blackberry but other PDA devices like the I Phone? Or maybe if it is just certain carriers that allow for it? i kinda wanted a blackberry but screw all that nonsense.
Your phone should be considered your property, and you should be able to load whatever you want on it to do whatever you want it to do. You shouldn't be restricted to only those methods that your carrier/provider are willing to allow.
Originally posted by EarthQuake
thank you for the info. i have one question though, if your carrier is providing your phone with service, then wouldnt the carrier be entitled its right to imply restrictions on what you download, or really, what you do with the phone when you are using their service?