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McAfee Says He Lied About iPhone Hacking Method To Get Public Attention

Posted by timothy on from the the-greater-good dept.

blottsie writes: McAfee, who founded of one of the first companies to offer antivirus software, claimed on CNN and Russia Today, as well as in a Business Insider column, that he could bypass the advanced encryption protecting the phone without Apple's help. But he lied in these interviews, he said in an interview with the Daily Dot, to "get a shitload of public attention."

11 of 171 comments (clear)

  1. Yes by blueshift_1 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Obviously. Move along.

    1. Re:Yes by Penguinisto · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Translation from McAfeeSpeak:

      "I made it all up to sound big, bad, and awesome... but now with the FBI really interested in doing just that, well..."

      --
      Quo usque tandem abutere, Nimbus, patientia nostra?
    2. Re:Yes by KGIII · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Pretty much. I think McAfee is awesome and we've got a few things in common - including a love of South America (and I'll leave it at that). However, he's a lunatic. We might also have that in common but my shrink assures me that I'm sane.

      At any rate... I've been earnestly asked why I'd not vote for him as president. At the time, I said (I was being polite) that I figured he should start with a lower office and demonstrate capability because he hadn't yet shown any capacity to be a politician. In hindsight, I should have said I couldn't vote for him, even if I wanted to, because the country shouldn't be run by lunatics.

      If you read this John, you're a great person and I'm in Florida right now - we should hang out and I'll be here until spring. But, seeing as you're reading this, I really can't support your candidacy 'cause you're a lunatic. Don't take that the wrong way, but you are. Live with it, revel in it, and shine on you crazy diamond. But no, no you can't be in charge of the country - yet. Start with governor or some small State or Senate or something. It's great to shoot for the moon but you don't have a shot in hell - 'cause you're a lunatic. We'll vote for a lunatic so long as they're a good (we think) and likable politician.

      --
      "So long and thanks for all the fish."
    3. Re:Yes by Misagon · · Score: 4, Insightful

      That said. I trust him more than Donald Trump.

      At least McAfee came clean and admitted that he had been lying instead of trying to perpetuate the lie and throwing insults at anyone who questions him.

      --
      "We mustn't be caught by surprise by our own advancing technology" -- Aldous Huxley
    4. Re:Yes by Darron_Wyke · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Hell. With his lovely little South American adventure, any sort of reputation he had before is gone. Not so much burned gone, but covered in napalm and salted-the-Earth-for-good-measure gone. Anything he does now is just an attention grab.

  2. McAffee admits he did something to get attention by QuietLagoon · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Aside from outright admitting it, what else is new?

  3. So, he's a lying asshole... by jcr · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Can't understand why he's not as popular as Trump, Sanders, or Clinton. He's doing the same things they are!

    -jcr

    --
    The only title of honor that a tyrant can grant is "Enemy of the State."
    1. Re:So, he's a lying asshole... by phantomfive · · Score: 3, Insightful

      He's a politician now. Not a good one, he shouldn't have admitted it.

      --
      "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
  4. impossible by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    A narcissistic jerk lying for attention? What is this world coming to? Next up we'll hear that some useless Hollywood slut has publicly posted nudes to get in the headlines again!

  5. Re:McAffee admits he did something to get attentio by Midnight+Thunder · · Score: 4, Insightful

    He is trying to get attention by being honest? That's brand new it seems.

    He is being honest about being dishonest!? Is that a redeeming attribute? - confused-

    --
    Jumpstart the tartan drive.
  6. Re:President by Jason+Levine · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Clinton - and most other politicians - claim to be "misunderstood", "taken out of context", or issue insincere apologies when they are called on outright lying. (As opposed to just twisting the truth.) Trump, on the other hand, doesn't seem to care if he lies or tells the truth. When he's caught on lying (e.g. saying he saw thousands of Americans celebrating on 9-11 as the towers came down), he doubles down and insists it's true because he says it is. If he says the sky is green with pink polka dots, it doesn't matter how often you point to the blue sky above you or show him photos, he'll keep insisting it is. For someone who claims to not be a politician, he out-politicians the politicians. (And that's not meant as a compliment.)

    --
    My sci-fi novel, Ghost Thief, is now available from Amazon.com.