1047
submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by TendieMaster69@midwest.social to c/youshouldknow@lemmy.world

"When you use Signal, your data is stored in encrypted form on your devices. The only information that is stored on the Signal servers for each account is the phone number you registered with, the date and time you joined the service, and the date you last logged on."

This isn't an ad, I wasn't paid for this post. Just to clear the air: fuck facebook, fuck elon musk and twitter, fuck anyone who thinks this is a paid advertisement. I wish I was paid for this shit, I just wanted to spread the word. Thank you. 😀 👍

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[-] Art3sian@lemmy.world 14 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Question: in 2019 Australia passed an encryption law that requires every piece of software used in Australia to have a back door for law enforcement to access to ‘counter terrorism’, wank, wank.

Does Signal have back door access in Australia?

[-] Sharp312@lemmy.one 19 points 1 year ago

Simply put, no. The signal protocol as well as the app is open source. Although I imagine signal would not be on the Australian app store for lack of compliance, which is why you can download the app directly from their website. WhatsApp actually uses the signal protocol, but they close sourced it so there's no way to tell if FB put a backdoor into it

[-] ColanderForAHat@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

As an Australian who uses Signal I can say it’s definitely on the iOS App Store, not sure about Google Play store but I assume it would be.

[-] not4smurf@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

Yes - it's in the Australian Google Play Store

[-] kalibri@aussie.zone 1 points 1 year ago

It's on the Google Play store as well.

[-] pallas@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

I think you're referring to the Telecommunications and Other Legislation Amendment (Assistance and Access) Act 2018, also described in this Verge article.

My understanding is that this doesn't actually require a backdoor be pre-built. It does require that, upon notice, a company or individual provide access to encrypted data (eg, via a backdoor) or assist in obtaining that access in some way, up to introducing a backdoor into their own software or compromising it. There is however a "systemic weakness" limitation, such that no one should be required to introduce a somewhat vaguely defined "systemic weakness" in their software in order to comply with demands. There's also no requirement that a backdoor be added before requests.

I expect that this means Signal would just stop offering software in Australia if they received a request, or make an argument about systemic weakness, though what Australia would likely ask for would be targeted replacement of the app with a signed but malicious version, to avoid that argument. There is also a question of enforceability against foreign companies: Australia is not the US, with the ability to extradite people who have no real connection to them, so Signal could quite possibly just ignore the Australian law.

If I recall correctly, the law also applies to individuals, and could compel them to maliciously act against other organizations; I remember there being the argument that the law meant that security-minded companies and projects should not allow Australians to contribute to their software at all.

[-] DrMario@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

God that’s fucking dystopian

[-] Art3sian@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

It’s a running joke amongst us Aussies to visitors, man… Don’t ask what you can’t do in Australia, ask what you can. It’s an easier list to explain.

And they passed that bullshit encryption law over Christmas/NY 2018, by the way, when none of us were paying attention. We came back to work on January 2 and it was signed into law.

Personally, I thought it was our Government’s most sneaky and disgusting moment.

[-] thegreenguy@kbin.social 2 points 1 year ago

Do they require to have a backdoor into the actual app (on your phone) or into the servers.

I'm not sure how data is stored locally (probably encrypted tho), but some time ago the FBI demanded Signal to give them all of the data they had on a specific account. All they were able to get was the phone number of said account and the account creation date.

this post was submitted on 03 Jul 2023
1047 points (89.8% liked)

You Should Know

33280 readers
35 users here now

YSK - for all the things that can make your life easier!

The rules for posting and commenting, besides the rules defined here for lemmy.world, are as follows:

Rules (interactive)


Rule 1- All posts must begin with YSK.

All posts must begin with YSK. If you're a Mastodon user, then include YSK after @youshouldknow. This is a community to share tips and tricks that will help you improve your life.



Rule 2- Your post body text must include the reason "Why" YSK:

**In your post's text body, you must include the reason "Why" YSK: It’s helpful for readability, and informs readers about the importance of the content. **



Rule 3- Do not seek mental, medical and professional help here.

Do not seek mental, medical and professional help here. Breaking this rule will not get you or your post removed, but it will put you at risk, and possibly in danger.



Rule 4- No self promotion or upvote-farming of any kind.

That's it.



Rule 5- No baiting or sealioning or promoting an agenda.

Posts and comments which, instead of being of an innocuous nature, are specifically intended (based on reports and in the opinion of our crack moderation team) to bait users into ideological wars on charged political topics will be removed and the authors warned - or banned - depending on severity.



Rule 6- Regarding non-YSK posts.

Provided it is about the community itself, you may post non-YSK posts using the [META] tag on your post title.



Rule 7- You can't harass or disturb other members.

If you harass or discriminate against any individual member, you will be removed.

If you are a member, sympathizer or a resemblant of a movement that is known to largely hate, mock, discriminate against, and/or want to take lives of a group of people and you were provably vocal about your hate, then you will be banned on sight.

For further explanation, clarification and feedback about this rule, you may follow this link.



Rule 8- All comments should try to stay relevant to their parent content.



Rule 9- Reposts from other platforms are not allowed.

Let everyone have their own content.



Rule 10- The majority of bots aren't allowed to participate here.

Unless included in our Whitelist for Bots, your bot will not be allowed to participate in this community. To have your bot whitelisted, please contact the moderators for a short review.



Partnered Communities:

You can view our partnered communities list by following this link. To partner with our community and be included, you are free to message the moderators or comment on a pinned post.

Community Moderation

For inquiry on becoming a moderator of this community, you may comment on the pinned post of the time, or simply shoot a message to the current moderators.

Credits

Our icon(masterpiece) was made by @clen15!

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS