
Edward Snowden's OS of choice gets a major update - mo
http://www.engadget.com/2016/01/27/edward-snowdens-os-of-choice-gets-a-major-update/
======
tunap
Damn, and I just fresh loaded/configured/updated Debian 8.1.0 two weeks ago on
home & laptop... here we go again. I may not be able to eradicate the
corporate/guv snoops from my life, but I sure as damn will not sit back and
allow them to run roughshod over my privacy by mining my every action.
Limiting is the goal, mis-info is the entertainment.

Anyone know what Snowden types use for mobile? Tracfone? CM variant? Maemo?

~~~
anonbanker
Snowden has referred people to the CIA standards for secure telephones:
Baseband limited to data only, VPN'ed into VoIP server to make/receive phone
calls. I believe he was still using Android to do this.

Any smart person would get a cheap chinese knock-off phone based on a MediaTek
MT6592 with a bunch of RAM, install vanilla linux on it, and run YateClient or
Plasma Mobile. Combined with VPN, data-only, and VoIP, this would be an
enormous pain for anyone to be able to properly track.

~~~
jakeogh
Any specific models in mind? I would love to run vanilla linux on my phone.
Checking ebay, I see a few with 2GB (like UMI ZERO MT6592T), 4 would be really
nice.

~~~
anonbanker
I picked up a lenovo knock-off with the aforementioned chip and 4GB of RAM on-
board for $120CAD over a year ago on aliexpress. Chinese knock-offs add an
extra layer of security-by-obscurity that government actors would have
difficulty with.

------
mark_l_watson
Kudos for the version 2 release.

I must admit feeling that we have lost the fight when protecting ourselves
from governments, considering the resources they have.

My fight now is trying to opt out of corporate invasion of my privacy. I am
also concerned that the privacy of school children, using school
infrastructure, is poorly protected against profile data that will follow them
forever.

~~~
waspleg
That last point is far worse than you think. In my school the principal is
entirely enamored with all things apple and google and wants to mandate
certain staff have twitter accounts. This is unwittingly signing up lots of
people for life long tracking. Although, many already do it to themselves with
no thought whatsoever to what the repercussions are, or that there may even be
any. Many other schools are even worse.

~~~
plasticxme
Tin foil hats a side, I assume it would be an account used only for
professional reasons, allowing students to reach out to their teachers.

However, if the teacher is incapable of separating personal life from work,
there could be repercussions.

~~~
Nadya
_> I assume it would be an account used only for professional reasons,
allowing students to reach out to their teachers._

We already have that. It's called email.

------
anonbanker
Snowden was looking into Qubes more than Tails as a more secure alternative.
But don't let the truth stop a good sensationalist name-dropping headline.

~~~
waspleg
I was thinking the same thing.

