Facebook already in trouble with governments over WhatsApp data collection

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We hope that Facebook will someday realize that its users don’t want their data to be collected over WhatsApp or any other app

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Stop being naive when it comes to things like WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, etc.

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The trend today has been to stop using WhatsApp ever since the policy was updated to allow sharing your personal information with Facebook. Some are recommending switching to other centralized messaging systems like Signal or Telegram, but there’s a problem with that too. Read on to learn how to recognize when a messaging app is out to profit off of and control you versus enabling better communications between people.

Personally, I specifically never became dependent on WhatsApp because 10 years ago I knew something like this would happen eventually. I mean the clues are pretty obvious; it’s a closed system, every app has to connect to the same centralized servers, it requires your phone number…  it was clearly designed from the beginning to:

  1. Generate a large user base over some number of years;
  2. Sell out and/or change policies in order to take advantage of the user base;
  3. Profit.

Embarrassingly, hundreds of millions of people keep falling for this scheme. I hear that in some countries, people even do business through WhatsApp.

Switching to another messaging service might seem like the solution to Facebook’s  monetization of your privacy, but be careful as you’re probably just trading one dictatorship for another dictatorship. Maybe the new dictator seems like a better dictator?

Pavel Duroc, the founder, and chief of Telegram may say things like “respect users”, but how long is that going to last? Whatsapp’s founders, Jan Koum and Brian Acton were originally good dictators who respected users, too. They even promised to protect user data after the Facebook acquisition! That didn’t last very long now, did it?

Look at History

Why is it so easy to predict that all of these internet messaging apps aren’t going to last?  It’s because none of the other practically exact same messaging apps have lasted.  All of them do very similar things and generally fail the same way. Let’s look at a few:

ICQ

  1. First instant messaging app on the internet, centralized servers;
  2. Bought by AOL, and faded to the background in favor of AIM;
  3. Mail.Ru bought ICQ, 3rd party clients blocked, Russian Intelligence Agencies allowed to read all messages.

AIM

  1. Most popular instant messaging system in the USA, centralized servers;
  2. Advertisements added along with bloated monetization methods;
  3. AIM shut down.

MSN Messenger, Windows Messenger, Live Messenger

  1. Lightweight instant messenger also worked with AIM, conveniently integrated with Windows, centralized servers;
  2. Advertisements added along with bloated monetization methods;
  3. MSN/Live Messenger shut down.

Yahoo Messenger

  1. Conveniently integrated with popular Yahoo services, centralized servers;
  2. Advertisements added along with bloated monetization methods;
  3. Yahoo Messenger shut down.

Skype

  1. Peer-to-peer instant messenger and video/voice calling only uses a centralized server for registration;
  2. Bought by Microsoft, peer-to-peer functions removed, multiple crazy app redesigns, monetization options added, functionality regularly added & removed & changed;
  3. Currently practically unusable and unreliable.

Facebook Messenger

  1. Conveniently integrated with the Facebook apps, uses standard XMPP tech, allows 3rd party apps & integrations, centralized servers;
  2. XMPP standard removed, 3rd party app integrations removed, Facebook app integration removed, separate Facebook Messenger app required, mobile web browser access to messages blocked;
  3. Facebook Messenger heavily used for privacy violations and collecting data on users in order to sell advertisements.

WhatsApp

  1. Internet messaging that matches your phone number with phone numbers in other peoples’ phones in order to easily connect you, centralized servers, promises of respect for privacy, no 3rd party apps;
  2. WhatsApp bought by Facebook, apps not maintained for all platforms, removed from some platforms;
  3. Facebook changes policy and starts using WhatsApp’s user base to sell advertising.

Anything Google (Sorry I don’t have time to list all of the failed Google messaging apps)

  1. Random new chat app, centralized server;
  2. Nobody uses it;
  3. Google shuts it down.

Today we have dozens and dozens more internet messaging apps/services, and just about all are repeating the same mistakes of the ones that have failed.  Personally, I’m getting pretty tired of recommending instant messaging apps to friends and family or coworkers only for them to eventually become awful or shut down. That appears to be how things go. 

Will Signal or Telegram ever become awful or shut down? Probably! Both actually promote an open-source nature whereas the code for the Telegram client is completely open to forking and both the Signal server and client are open source. However, both are still centralized.  With Telegram, you’re at the mercy of Pavel Durov deciding how things work with their centralized servers. With Signal, you’re not allowed to create federated servers. You’re only allowed to connect to the Open Whisper centralized servers which are under Moxie Marlinspike’s control. Both dictate what’s allowed on their respective networks and thus could change the rules at any time.

A Messaging System Success Story

So has anyone done internet messaging right?  There is one internet messaging system that does NOT use centralized servers, and it has been very successful because of that. In fact, it has outlasted all other internet messaging systems in longevity as it continues to evolve. Here are a few differences that make this one successful.

  • Anyone can make their own server, plug it into the internet, make some DNS records with a domain, and they’ll be able to transfer messages between any other server on the internet.  Your server will be able to exchange messages between its users and external users as long as it is plugged into the internet. This is called federating and it’s a way of decentralizing communications.
  • If you don’t want to make your own server, there are millions in existence. Some may be run by a business for only the business’s use, or another business may let you use one for free, or they may let you use one for a monthly fee. That’s a huge amount of flexibility.
  • The system is completely open. Not only can you make your own server, but you can also make your own client apps in any manner you see fit. It’s not just one open-source server software either. There are companies that make completely proprietary messaging servers that have more advanced features yet maintain interoperability. There are companies that make and sell special client apps. All of them are able to send messages to each other for universal, non-discriminatory, all-inclusive communications.

If you can’t tell what we’re talking about here, the big one that has been around the longest and is in use by more people than any other internet messaging protocol (4 billion people and growing) is called Email. Practically every internet connected electronic devices that you buy today asks for an email account for identification or offers to create one at first use. How many Apple users don’t have an iCloud email account?  How many Android users don’t have a Gmail account?  How many Windows users don’t have a Microsoft account? There’s no reason to pressure people into using email to send or receive messages, because they already have the app, they already have the accounts, and they’re probably already using it in at least some capacity.  If you’re in grade school, or high school, or college, or you have a job, then you’re probably already using it there as well. That means the barrier to entry is very low. 

Some people may not want to use it because they don’t like their default email client’s interface, or they get too much spam or whatever.  Well, because this protocol is completely open, you can literally change anything you want.  You can install an app like Spike that makes email feel exactly like WhatsApp.  You can subscribe to a completely fresh messaging experience like Hey.com. You can encrypt messages using the Signal protocol with Criptext (in fact there are dozens of ways to secure email messaging.) You can add universal voice/video calling with dozens of WebRTC options. You can add animated cartoons and emoji. You can add typing indicators and read receipts or new ways of file sharing. You can make temporary alias accounts to hand out if you want to have more control over who can contact you. You can block everyone except people in your contacts list. You can set up automatic rules or actions that process messages for you. If there’s anything you don’t like about email, someone has probably already made a fix for that and there’s nothing stopping anyone else from innovating on the platform. 

That’s another huge difference from all of the centralized messaging services… there is no “Email Emperor” that can make sweeping changes the way the bosses of Open Whisper, or Telegram, or Facebook, or Google can do. The ecosystem is built like the internet… You can start your own business selling better email apps like Em Client, or you can sell secure email services like ProtonMail, or you can sell server software like Microsoft Exchange or Blackberry Server, or you can sell private email servers like Helm, or you can give email service away for free and scrape user data to sell ads like Gmail. The possibilities are endless.

Just because email is one of the oldest forms of internet messaging, doesn’t mean it’s obsolete, quite the opposite, it’s mature and robust. The oldest road in the world has been around for 5500 years, and it still works.

Conclusion

It boggles my mind that so many people are clamoring for a new internet messaging system to replace WhatsApp as Facebook continues to make it terrible, while completely ignoring the smartest solution that they’ve always had. That’s not to say email doesn’t have its problems. The fragmentation of the system can be considered a weakness, but in the same way, the diversity of the system can be considered a huge strength. Regardless of how good/bad YOUR personal experience with email is, the decentralized, cooperative system of communications is clearly the smartest way to go when developing communications systems for longevity into the future. 

While personally, I believe the email system can be upgraded further as it has many times over the past few decades, there are some other decentralized communications system in development that follow the same decentralized, cooperative architecture. The Matrix Protocol, which is still quite young with not nearly as diverse an ecosystem as email, is a good one to keep your eye on. XMPP is another standards-based messaging protocol that has been around for a while and can truly be federated. XMPP also has a good number of client options and extensions.

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Pocketnow Daily: Google Pixel 5 Pro Leaks Sound Real & Fake? (video)

Samsung Galaxy Note 10+, Microsoft’s Surface Book 3 and more on sale today

As per usual lately, let’s begin today’s deals and seriously Samsung continues to dominate with its offerings. Starting with the Galaxy Note 10+ which is currently $300 off on Amazon, leaving the 256GB, Aura Black variant for $800. The regular Galaxy Note 10 is getting the same discount but for the Aura White model, leaving it at $650. The Z Flip 5G is $200 off, leaving it at $1250. The trade-in deals on the company’s website are still going, so you can still get the Z Fold 2 for $1000 and the Note 20 for $450, if you have an eligible device to trade in. Now, back to Amazon, the Surface Book 3 is $200 off, leaving the Intel Core i5, 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage model for $1249, yeah still expensive but you can get double the RAM and an i7 for $1270. We have even more deals on monitors, Razer Gaming peripherals and more in the links below.

Apple could give us a new 10.5-inch iPad in the first half of 2021

Let’s move on to iPads but don’t worry they are not deals. Actually this time it’s all about how much they’re do for a refresh. According to a new report from China, Apple is looking to update their entry level iPad in the Spring of 2021. The report claims that this iPad should bring a larger 10.5in display, the A13 Bionic, 4GB of RAM and a thinner and lighter design. It will reportedly still bring Touch ID in the home button as well as the lightning port but, it will adopt the previous iPad Air’s design. And yeah that’s not really a design change but that will allow it to be thinner and lighter and we know that Apple pretty much recycles iPad designs, like in the case of the new Air. It’s kind of weird for Apple to refresh an iPad that quick but, if you think about it, the only change to the previous one was the processor. Finally, the report claims that it might also start at a lower, $299 price tag, with 64GB of storage. If you think of it, the advantage of Apple Silicon is how it’s driven the prices down given the added volume in sales, so we’re all for that.

Samsung Galaxy S21 with Snapdragon 888 confirmed, rumors of improved features emerge

Alright, let’s keep talking about devices we’re expecting, but shifting focus to the Galaxy S21 Series. Yesterday we covered the new leaked teasers as well as the fact that it will bring a much faster on-display fingerprint scanner which will reportedly be so good that you just have to tap to unlock. Now, some rumors hinted to the possibility that, all of these devices could be powered by Exynos chips and well, we know how you guys feel about those. Thankfully, the S21 just went through an FCC certification confirming that it will bring the Snapdragon 888 5G but, in some markets like the US and South Korea. Other markets will have to stick to the Exynos 2100 which seems more promising this year. The certification also revealed that this device will bring mmWave 5G, WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5 and a faster 9W reverse wireless charging, for those new Galaxy Buds Pro probably. So yeah, we’re expecting these phones as soon as next month so, leaks should just get better from here.

Apple fires back at Facebook for attacking app privacy labels, warns of taking down apps

Let’s move on to Apple and Facebook.. And Google, in ways that I’m actually willing to applaud. Back in October when we got the new iPhones, Apple also announced some new privacy features. These new features now require apps to explicitly ask for permission before utilizing “Identifier for Advertisers” to track people’s activity. Well, you can imagine how Facebook and Google weren’t really happy with Cupertino’s decision, telling advertisers that their revenue could reduce by as much as 50%. Well, Craig Federighi aka Mr. Jiggle Mode recently made some comments about how “some tech companies” would prefer if this new App Tracking Transparejcy feature was never implemented. However, he also made it clear that they are just delaying this feature until early 2021 but certain unnamed companies don’t want meet this standard, they will have those apps taken down from the App Store. Now of course, Craig didn’t mention any names but, Facebook has been attacking Apple over this ever since its announcement so you can clearly how they feel about respecting your privacy. Now if there’s one thing we know about Apple is that they don’t care, and proof is Epic Games.

After ditching chargers, Apple mulls removal of cables from the iPhone retail package

Now, here’s a little trivia question. When is the last time we covered Apple doing a survey about products you don’t use? Yeah, when they were planning to get rid of the charging brick. Well, the company just sent out a similar customer survey but this one brings so much more. This one asks iPhone 12 users if they actually use the items they get in the box, including the power cable, the SIM ejecting tool and the stickers. The stickers. It sounds like Apple is finally going for that port-less iPhone that’s been rumored for years now that MagSafe is actually a thing. Let’s move on to another survey with some positive news, they’re asking users about their Face ID experience on the new iPhones. This is most likely because of the new rumors that claim that Apple is working on improving Face ID and the on-display fingerprint scanner from Qualcomm. Honestly, we don’t really mind if they put it in the power button or under the display, right now we just want a fingerprint scanner.

Story of the day:

Is there a new Google Pixel 5 Pro on the way?

And finally, the hottest news today have to do with Google and the Pixel. We’ve been having this running joke with Diego about how it’s almost been two months and there’s still no Pixel 6 leaks. Well, many people were wondering if Google was actually going to launch a flagship after the fact as, none of the three phones we got from them this year actually qualify as one. Now, we have some leaked images that allegedly, and I emphasize on the allegedly, belong a Google Pixel 5 Pro. These images are very similar to the ones we got last week for a Pixel XE. On the images we can see that this phone has dual SIM capabilities, and the device name as Pixel 5 Pro. Another benchmark of the device shows that this phone packs 8GB of RAM, 256GB of onboard storage and the Snapdragon 865. Probably the most interesting thing about these pictures is that apparently there is no selfie camera here. Now, we don’t know if this means that we’re getting a pop up, or one under the display but it is nowhere to be found here. The thing about it is, Google is like a box of chocolates you truly never know what you’re gonna get.
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Think twice before using Zoom again, Singapore teachers stop using it after “serious incidents”

Teachers in Singapore have been told to stop using Zoom to give classes after some children were allegedly exposed to inappropriate content

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Pocketnow Daily: The iPhone 9 Design was just LEAKED!!(video)

On today's Pocketnow Daily, we talk about the possible design of the iPhone 9, specs of the Samsung Galaxy Fold 2 and more

The post Pocketnow Daily: The iPhone 9 Design was just LEAKED!!(video) appeared first on Pocketnow.

FBI needs Apple’s help to unlock a mass shooter’s iPhone

The FBI is trying to get help from Apple to unlock a password-protected iPhone that belonged to the shooter of the Naval Air Station in Pensacola Florida

The post FBI needs Apple’s help to unlock a mass shooter’s iPhone appeared first on Pocketnow.

Facebook may not integrate WhatsApp and Instagram because of the FTC

It seems that Facebook may soon start its WhatsApp, Instagram, and Messenger integration, but the Federal Trade Commission may want to think otherwise

The post Facebook may not integrate WhatsApp and Instagram because of the FTC appeared first on Pocketnow.

Pocketnow Daily: Samsung Galaxy Fold 2 with CRAZY Price and Camera?!(video)

On today's Pocketnow Daily, we talk about the possible camera in the Samsung Galaxy Fold, the new name for the iPhone SE 2 and more

The post Pocketnow Daily: Samsung Galaxy Fold 2 with CRAZY Price and Camera?!(video) appeared first on Pocketnow.

Hong Kong protesters should be smarter about their messaging apps

Hong Kong protesters have been seeking out new ways of communicating without government intervention. Here's a potentially much better option compared to the messaging apps that they've been using.

The post Hong Kong protesters should be smarter about their messaging apps appeared first on Pocketnow.

Apparently, I have to install spyware on my phone in order to attend a Weird Al concert

If you enjoy supporting your favorite artists by attending their shows, watch out for the AXS ticketing app. It could be a nightmare!

The post Apparently, I have to install spyware on my phone in order to attend a Weird Al concert appeared first on Pocketnow.

Pocketnow Daily: FaceApp could be STEALING your PHOTOS… (video)

On today's Pocketnow Daily, we talk about how FaceApp could be stealing your photos, the new ASUS ROG Phone 2, Samsung's new 12GB RAM chip and more

The post Pocketnow Daily: FaceApp could be STEALING your PHOTOS… (video) appeared first on Pocketnow.

Apple, Google, and Microsoft allow anyone to violate your privacy with an email

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Almost all email programs would notify you of potential privacy issues before loading certain emails. That’s no longer the case, so you’re probably being tracked now.

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