The tech giant said providing encryption keys was a standard response to a court order. But companies like Apple and Meta set up their systems so such a privacy violation isn’t possible.
It’s not a security flaw, it’s by design. Microsoft has been building this surveillance apparatus for years, and the purchase of government access to your computer and data using your tax dollars is a lucrative alignment of state and corporate power. Their recent design choices point to a rabid desperation to turn your PC into an Apple-style walled-garden.
It goes like this:
Require online Microsoft account creation.
Require TPM compliance to run Windows.
Forcibly encrypt the user’s data under the guise of “security”, even without permission or even user action. (Encryption is good! Right?)
Link your identity, payment information, data, online activity, and encryption keys to your hardware ID.
Record everything you do and use that data to train an AI model with onboard tensor hardware.
Exfiltrate the entire model, or just query it remotely for “online services.” Or, in this case, just have MS give you the fucking recovery keys. lol
All done “securely” with tamper resistance and mathematical verifiability that whatever is on your device is yours, and that you took that action with limited plausible deniability.
If you think you’ve got nothing to hide, think again about the current activities of ICE, law enforcement investigations based on reproductive health data, the pornography suppression movement, age verification, and the data harvesting of dissenting speech. What’s legal today can quickly become “illegal” tomorrow. The constitution is just a piece of paper in a fancy climate controlled box.
I realize Linux distros inspire arguments on the level of which rule set is the best rule set for D&D. As such, everyone is right, and no one can really prove anyone else wrong no matter how long they choose to argue. Unless we’re discussing the awfulness of 4.0 of course.
Indeed. I think the inevitable discussion about best distro, which always comes up in this context, is more hurtful than constructive, since it may end up confusing and scaring away potential Windows-defectors.
The point is to get them to try out linux and get a taste for it, and only when they have become comfortable with the concept and realised it is not so scary of a change that some people claim, should they begin to consider which distro is right for them.
While it’s rarely by default (I actually don’t know any that do by default but), it is usually a simple checkbox during the installation. And a provided password, of course.
You make Microsoft act like some mastermind genius carefully planning to take away everyone’s rights instead of a bunch of clueless DIrectors who are chasing KPI’s. Just happens more people relying on their technology means when the Government comes knocking they can give them all the data they want.
That’s a great question, and it is because it enables a chain of cryptographic controls that enable verification, tamper resistance, and secrecy while selling Bitlocker as computer security. It is technically secure, except that MS has your recovery keys and can just give them to whoever they want, like the FBI!
This way, they can mathematically verify:
Who you are and the exact unique machine you use (verification from a unique machine ID associated with your encryption keys and Windows account data)
Know that the data has not been altered in transit (tamper resistant hashing of your data)
No one else knows except them (secret encryption keys stored in hardware that only Microsoft controls, not you, Microsoft)
This architecture also keeps their data on your machine secure. If someone maintains an encrypted archive on your hard drive that only they control the keys to, say like a movie or a video game, who owns that data really? If it’s decrypted only for authorized use, you’re really only renting that content from the owner. This is called Digital Rights Management, and it’s much easier when this security chain is in place.
Technically they could do this remotely if they really wanted to and your machine were powered. Imagine what you could do with this power for every Windows machine on the planet.
It’s not a security flaw, it’s by design. Microsoft has been building this surveillance apparatus for years, and the purchase of government access to your computer and data using your tax dollars is a lucrative alignment of state and corporate power. Their recent design choices point to a rabid desperation to turn your PC into an Apple-style walled-garden.
It goes like this:
Require online Microsoft account creation.
Require TPM compliance to run Windows.
Forcibly encrypt the user’s data under the guise of “security”, even without permission or even user action. (Encryption is good! Right?)
Link your identity, payment information, data, online activity, and encryption keys to your hardware ID.
Record everything you do and use that data to train an AI model with onboard tensor hardware.
Exfiltrate the entire model, or just query it remotely for “online services.” Or, in this case, just have MS give you the fucking recovery keys. lol
All done “securely” with tamper resistance and mathematical verifiability that whatever is on your device is yours, and that you took that action with limited plausible deniability.
If you think you’ve got nothing to hide, think again about the current activities of ICE, law enforcement investigations based on reproductive health data, the pornography suppression movement, age verification, and the data harvesting of dissenting speech. What’s legal today can quickly become “illegal” tomorrow. The constitution is just a piece of paper in a fancy climate controlled box.
Linux, people. Linux.
Suggest Pop!_OS for the fearful.
Had Pop!_OS. Had multiple issues with sound and a work VDI.
Went back to Mint. No issues at all. Same everything (hardware / headset / etc).
Go Mint.
We have Mint in the house too. Pop! Has given no audio issues. Bluetooth audio worked out of the box.
Not Bluetooth audio, regular audio with a VDI.
Mint, I think you mean Mint.
I realize Linux distros inspire arguments on the level of which rule set is the best rule set for D&D. As such, everyone is right, and no one can really prove anyone else wrong no matter how long they choose to argue. Unless we’re discussing the awfulness of 4.0 of course.
Indeed. I think the inevitable discussion about best distro, which always comes up in this context, is more hurtful than constructive, since it may end up confusing and scaring away potential Windows-defectors.
The point is to get them to try out linux and get a taste for it, and only when they have become comfortable with the concept and realised it is not so scary of a change that some people claim, should they begin to consider which distro is right for them.
I haven’t seen anyone argue on the ruleset of DnD, so I’m disregarding that, but I agree with your point. Remember: Switcning distros is easy.
Yes, I am indeed Linux people.
sorry, what is Linux? I’ve never heard of it
It’s a German laundry detergent brand.
Don’t most Linux distributions not enable full disk encryption by default? How would that have improved the situation in this case?
It’s worse than that, lots of these linuxes actually have this builtin virus called wine, which means they are really just windows in disguise.
It also makes them look like a hacker to the FBI, that’s why TYOTLD has never come. Most linusers are getting dissapeared to guano bay.
Far safer to stay on windows, linus is only suitable for real hackers who can grep their way into cia mainframe to expunge their records.
It took me until the 3rd paragraph to realize this was cap
While it’s rarely by default (I actually don’t know any that do by default but), it is usually a simple checkbox during the installation. And a provided password, of course.
Arch for the chads (and authors of future ‘Help my Linux Broke’ OPs)
Wait. You’re saying there’s a distro easier out of the box than Pop! ??
Personally I cannot say, but I’ve seen Mint recommended a lot and new Linux users sound happy with it.
If this were Linuxmemes I’d say that LFS is the only real Linux distro everything else is just conformity and giving in to THE MAN
Project PRISM has matured.
You make Microsoft act like some mastermind genius carefully planning to take away everyone’s rights instead of a bunch of clueless DIrectors who are chasing KPI’s. Just happens more people relying on their technology means when the Government comes knocking they can give them all the data they want.
If they were that interested, why would they push encryption at all?
That’s a great question, and it is because it enables a chain of cryptographic controls that enable verification, tamper resistance, and secrecy while selling Bitlocker as computer security. It is technically secure, except that MS has your recovery keys and can just give them to whoever they want, like the FBI!
This way, they can mathematically verify:
Who you are and the exact unique machine you use (verification from a unique machine ID associated with your encryption keys and Windows account data)
Know that the data has not been altered in transit (tamper resistant hashing of your data)
No one else knows except them (secret encryption keys stored in hardware that only Microsoft controls, not you, Microsoft)
This architecture also keeps their data on your machine secure. If someone maintains an encrypted archive on your hard drive that only they control the keys to, say like a movie or a video game, who owns that data really? If it’s decrypted only for authorized use, you’re really only renting that content from the owner. This is called Digital Rights Management, and it’s much easier when this security chain is in place.
Technically they could do this remotely if they really wanted to and your machine were powered. Imagine what you could do with this power for every Windows machine on the planet.
Verification of identity.
Marketing. Just that.
Yeah but as long as you download CSAM you’re on this governments “nice” list. Use that to throw them off your scent.
Oh they like cheese pizza? Must be a god-fearing republican like us. Move along.