Being aware of the many ways that technology can spy on you as a Bitcoiner is crucial to effective opsec.
This opinion editorial is by Anthony Feliciano. He is a Bitcoin event organizer, consultant and strategist.
It is no secret that we live in a state of mass surveillance. Technology that was created to make us more productive and energy efficient is now our biggest threat to privacy and our self-sovereignty. Look around. Smart refrigerators, smart light bulbs and nanny cams can all be used to spy on you. And that's not even the entire list of equipment that could spy on you before you leave your home. All of them are equipped with sensors, microphones, cameras and microphones that can monitor and record our every movement, emotion, and action. Many will refer to the Patriot Act, which was when the U.S. government started to spy on its citizens' communications under the pretense of "national security."
This series will consist of two articles. The first article will explain "why" — why it is important to create an opt-out plan for your smartphone. It is even more important if you are a Bitcoiner. This "why" is not only for Bitcoiners, but also applies to journalists and people living under oppressive regimes.
The second part of the process will be "how". I'll give you tools and options that can help you start your opt-out journey, while still being able use Bitcoin.
How Cellular Service Providers Track Us:
Let's start with cell phone providers. I'll then discuss some of the current tools they have at their disposal. You may have heard of some of these terms before but not sure how they work. Remember that information from these tools could be subpoenaed by lawyers and government agencies.
- Carrier-branded smartphones are phones that you "lease" from a carrier for a monthly payment. These phones come preloaded with tons of apps, which are carrier-branded and can't be removed. Many of these apps are carrier-specific and log data as well as track other apps.
AT&T Secure Family is one example. The Google Play App is another — "Find and control your family's screen time and manage your child's phone use."
These are the key features:
- This app could share data with third-parties.
- This app could collect your location and personal information.
- Transmitting data is encrypted
- Data cannot be deleted.
- Mobile OS: This is the operating system that your smartphone uses. It is similar to the Windows, macOS, or Ubuntu version on your personal computer. Two players dominate the smartphone market today. Google and Apple. We agree to the terms and conditions for using Apple or Google services. This gives them access to all aspects of our lives, private and public. People complain that Big Tech spying upon them, but it is really their fault. We don't have any obligation to use these services.
*Note: Two projects will be discussed to assist Android users in their opt-out plan. We are sorry Apple users. It will be easier to jailbreak an iPhone once it becomes easier.
- Apps: There are too many apps on our phones. What was the last time an app you downloaded didn't require access to all parts of your phone? Nearly all apps we download need access to our phone contacts, phones, texts, photos and GPS locations. It all has the focus on "collecting data for better customer experience".
- Trilateration: GPS. Every cell phone sends out signals to other cell towers in order to get "acknowledgement" signals. Your accuracy in pinpointing your location within a few feet is dependent on how many towers your smartphone can connect to.
*Note: Turning off your GPS does not make it foolproof. Because our smartphones can still be connected to nearby towers using the radio within them, this is why. Although this won't pinpoint you exact location, it will provide enough information to determine your current location at a given time.
- SIM Swap Attacks: When a scammer poses as you (through Social Engineering), and calls your mobile service provider to trick him into giving your cell number to a SIM. This is done to gain one-time access codes for your accounts. The targets are often centralized exchanges in Bitcoin terms. A sim-swap attack was used by a fraudster to obtain a unique code and withdraw victim's cryptocurrency. Many other horror stories about SIM swap attacks that were designed to wipe out crypto accounts are available.
- Stingrays – Physical hardware used worldwide by government agencies. Stingrays act as fake cell phone towers, providing stronger signals to your smartphone, making it believe that it is communicating with a nearby tower. However, an agency is actually recording all data (texts, calls and data) sent from the target. This is the problem: anyone who wanders by the target will have all their data captured. This tactic puts everyone in the area at risk.
- Rally against social, political, and economic injustice: The Canadian Truckers Rally's fallout and the events on January 6, 2021 were just two examples of why you need a burner phone or privacy-focused device to attend these events. The governments worked closely with Big Tech in the months following the events to arrest and track down a number of people by simply looking at their social media accounts or subpoenaing their cell phone records. These cell phone records were used in order to find out if someone was near protests to help prosecute them. This is why I want to stress it again: Never bring your everyday phone to any rally. No matter what, always bring a backup phone that you can use to get rid of or replace your daily phone.
How to Opt Out
CalyxOS and GrapheneOS are great places to start. These two projects have a similar nature and provide a great alternative to Google services. There are installation guides and a list of compatible devices on their respective websites. These two projects are the most popular among Bitcoiners. These apps are used by me for privacy and can be used in conjunction with de-Googled phones. This will allow you to use Bitcoin without being tracked and spying on you.
Privacy is a fundamental human right that we should all cherish. We must not compromise it or take it for granted. There is no way to be 100% private and secure unless you plan to live off the grid in remote areas. Even if your wife doesn't like the idea of Bitcoin and communications, you can at least explore an opt-out plan.
Anthony Feliciano contributed this guest post. These opinions are not necessarily those of BTC Inc.
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By: Anthony Feliciano
Title: How Our Smartphones Spy On Us, And What You Can Do To Avoid It
Sourced From: bitcoinmagazine.com/technical/how-to-avoid-spying-smartphones
Published Date: Fri, 09 Sep 2022 00:00:00 GMT
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