Why did you THINK Uber wants to track you?

Earlier today, Claire Wolfe congratulated Uber for encrypting data when raided, but wondered why the data wasn’t encrypted all the time.

Uber Employees Accused of Using Data to Stalk Exes and Celebs
“Uber’s lack of security regarding its customer data was resulting in Uber employees being able to track high profile politicians, celebrities, and even personal acquaintances of Uber employees, including ex-boyfriends/girlfriends, and ex-spouses,” according to legal documents filed by ex-employee Ward Spangenberg in October and reported by The Center for Investigative Reporting on Monday.

That’s why. And why did you think they expanded tracking time to see where you go after they drop you off?

Microsoft: Screwing up since Day 1

You know how those technologically-ignorant idiots in DC think we need to backdoor encryption for the children, to stop terrorists and speeding drivers?

This is one of the many reasons we’ve been telling them that it’s a truly bad idea.

Bungling Microsoft singlehandedly proves that golden backdoor keys are a terrible idea
Redmond races to revoke Secure Boot policy
Microsoft leaked the golden keys that unlock Windows-powered tablets, phones and other devices sealed by Secure Boot – and is now scrambling to undo the blunder.

These skeleton keys can be used to install non-Redmond operating systems on locked-down computers. In other words, on devices that do not allow you to disable Secure Boot even if you have administrator rights – such as ARM-based Windows RT tablets – it is now possible to sidestep this block and run, say, GNU/Linux or Android.

What’s more, it is believed it will be impossible for Microsoft to fully revoke the leaked keys.

For the record, I can confirm that Linux Mint 18 installs just as easily as 17.1 and 17.3, and works very nicely. True, this particular clusterfuck seems to affect mobile devices that Mint won’t help with, but it will start weaning you from the idiots at MSFT.

Seriously. Who has trusted MicroCeph since the _NSAKEY fiasco of ’99? What; you believed them?

Reality Disconnect

Feds, Silicon Valley headed for ‘collision’ over encryption issue, post San Bernardino, wave of terror attacks
The competing goals of protecting Americans’ emails and other private electronic messages and helping the U.S. intelligence community decode them to foil terror plots are on a “collision” course, the Obama administration acknowledges.

Not ‘competing’. Diametrically opposed.

But why do we need to sacrifice electronic security for… security unlimited snooping in violation of constitutionally guaranteed rights?

Comey said at least one of the two shooters at the anti-Prophet Muhammad event in Texas in May had exchanged 109 encrypted electronic messages with “an overseas terrorist.”

Oh. Right. The guys who were stopped before they accomplished anything. By good guys with guns. Despite that nasty ol’encryption. On the other hand, the Feebs say the San Berdoo terrorists were sending unencrypted F******k messages, and they weren’t able to stop them.

I don’t think the privacy of us honest folk is ther problem.