Slashdot Mirror
Apple's "Warrant Canary" Has Died
HughPickens.com writes When Apple published its first Transparency Report on government activity in late 2013, the document contained an important footnote that stated: "Apple has never received an order under Section 215 of the USA Patriot Act. We would expect to challenge such an order if served on us." Now Jeff John Roberts writes at Gigaom that Apple's warrant canary has disappeared. A review of the company's last two Transparency Reports, covering the second half of 2013 and the first six months of 2014, shows that the "canary" language is no longer there suggesting that Apple is now part of FISA or PRISM proceedings.
Warrant canaries are a tool used by companies and publishers to signify to their users that, so far, they have not been subject to a given type of law enforcement request such as a secret subpoena. If the canary disappears, then it is likely the situation has changed — and the company has been subject to such request. This may also give some insight into Apple's recent decision to rework its latest encryption in a way that makes it almost impossible for the company to turn over data from most iPhones or iPads to police.
Warrant canaries are a tool used by companies and publishers to signify to their users that, so far, they have not been subject to a given type of law enforcement request such as a secret subpoena. If the canary disappears, then it is likely the situation has changed — and the company has been subject to such request. This may also give some insight into Apple's recent decision to rework its latest encryption in a way that makes it almost impossible for the company to turn over data from most iPhones or iPads to police.
Here's an interesting follow up from Ars
http://arstechnica.com/tech-po...
Watch those corners
Takes me like fifteen minutes to buy a $5 wrench. Tops.
That requires:
a) you know who to hit with it
b) the person you decide to hit with it knows the password
So if you shoot a "terr'ist" and retreive his encrypted smart phone... what are you going to do exactly with a wrench?
It can't be Apple - they download WESTERN music to your phone, without your permission, which could GET YOU KILLED.
No, one time pads cannot be broken. The key and the message have the same length. You xor the key and the message to encrypt, xor again to decrypt. Since the attacker knows neither the key nor the plain text, he cannot break it even if he is an immortal whose only objective is breaking the crypto.
Then why isn't it used everywhere? Because the key needs to be as big as the message, and the key is good for only a single use. That means you cannot send a new key encrypted with the one time pad (well, you can, but it won't help you). Any clever tricks you're thinking would make the crypto weaker.
It's interesting that this story hits Slashdot the same day as the story about Apple double-pinky swearing that they'll never, unh-uh, not ever unlock your iPhone for law enforcement any more.
I don't believe a fucking word. They'd throw a baby off a bridge for a $2 bump in their stock price. It's the same with any corporation, but they're closed ecosystem just means there's no way to protect yourself.
All this "canary" bullshit begs the question why, if Apple really cared one little bit about their customers, don't they just come out and say what they have to say. Apple may be one of a very small handful of corporations that actually could stand up to the surveillance regime. As far as I'm concerned, tacit complicity is worse than loud complicity. Especially when your selling yourself as someone who can be trusted with peoples' mobile payments and personal information and when you pretend you "Think Different". Remember the famous 1984 Apple ad? They are now part of the problem.
You are welcome on my lawn.
Apple double-pinky swearing that they'll never, unh-uh, not ever unlock your iPhone
That's not what they said - they said the've altered it so they CANNOT unlock your iPhone, even if they want to.
Given how the technology works, that is a quite reasonable assertion. iOS devices have had full device encryption for some time, without that key you have nothing.
All this "canary" bullshit begs the question why, if Apple really cared one little bit about their customers, don't they just come out and say what they have to say.
That just shows a misunderstanding of what companies are legally ALLOWED to say. Once you get the order you CANNOT talk about it, thus the device of the canary.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
The huge machinery behind the NSA / CIA / FBI and all those alphabet agencies wants total control, and it has the enthusiastic support of private companies such as Google, Microsoft, Apple, Cisco, amongst others
Obama? That one is but a puppet
When the term of this puppet ends, by 2016 they will have another puppet installed. But of course, they will give us an "illusive election", whereby no matter who we vote for, it will be their puppet who will be installed inside the Casa Blanca!
Viva la Maquinaria !!
Muchas Gracias, Señor Edward Snowden !
Another reason why biometry is great to establish identity but poor for authentication.
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
You underestimate the stupidity of your adversary. And their sadism.
Or, in other words, just 'cause you can't confess doesn't mean the torture ends.
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
Apple removed a sentence from their quarterly filings and obviously this is a sign of imminent fascist genocide.
Smart people are some of the stupidest people I've ever met.