Difference between revisions of "Privacy"

From Organic Design wiki
(Related news: EFF: The Final Leaked TPP Text is All That We Feared)
(Private communications apps and info: Jami] - available for all desktop and mobile platforms, used to be Ring)
(40 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown)
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{{glossary}}<onlyinclude>[[Privacy]] is the resource that is made available by ''Security'' which in turn is a collection of tools for allowing information and resource to be made available only to selected people or groups. In [[OrganicDesign]] this means that our [[peer-to-peer network]] must have a good distributed encryption and authentication mechanism in place so that [[trust group]]s can contain private information securely and persistently even when none of the [[member]]s are online.
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{{glossary}}[[File:NothingToSay.jpg|400px|right]]<onlyinclude>[[Privacy]] is the resource that is made available by ''Security'' which in turn is a collection of tools for allowing information and resource to be made available only to selected people or groups. In [[OrganicDesign]] this means that our [[peer-to-peer]] network must have a good distributed encryption and authentication mechanism in place so that [[trust group]]s can contain private information securely and persistently even when none of the [[member]]s are online.
  
 
Having very good encryption is important because these days more and more sensitive information needs to be stored in a robust distributed way while remaining fully private and under our own control. Examples of such information are passwords and private keys, scanned identification documents, personal correspondence and these days even [[Bitcoin|digital money]].</onlyinclude>
 
Having very good encryption is important because these days more and more sensitive information needs to be stored in a robust distributed way while remaining fully private and under our own control. Examples of such information are passwords and private keys, scanned identification documents, personal correspondence and these days even [[Bitcoin|digital money]].</onlyinclude>
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Another useful related addon to Firefox is the [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/59/ User Agent Switcher].
 
Another useful related addon to Firefox is the [https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/59/ User Agent Switcher].
  
== Private communications ==
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== Private communications apps and info ==
 +
*[https://wire.com Wire] ''- see also [https://techcrunch.com/2017/02/10/messaging-app-wire-now-has-an-external-audit-of-its-e2e-crypto/ why Wire's looking good]''
 +
*[https://tox.chat Tox]
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*[https://keybase.io Keybase] ''- mainly focused at devs, but very secure chat using [https://keybase.io/blog/chat-apps-softer-than-tofu trusted device chains]''
 +
*[https://jami.net/ Jami] ''- available for all desktop and mobile platforms, used to be Ring''
 +
*[https://threema.ch Threema] ''- see also [https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18839731 thread about Threema's security]''
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*[https://www.signal.org/ Signal] ''- see also [https://drewdevault.com/2018/08/08/Signal.html why I don't trust signal]''
 +
**[https://signal.org/blog/looking-back-on-the-front/ Google and Amazon prove how shit they are when it comes to protecting user's privacy by making sure Signal can be censored again]
 +
*[https://www.telegram.org/ Telegram] ''-see also [https://gitlab.com/edu4rdshl/blog/blob/master/why-telegram-is-insecure.md a deeper look at Telegram's encryption] (not awesome)''
 +
*[https://matrix.org Matrix]
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**[https://riot.im Riot]
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**[https://wedistribute.org/2019/03/pattle-is-a-new-im-like-client-for-matrix/ Pattle]
 +
*[https://briarproject.org/ Briar]
 
*[http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2013/02/silent_circle_s_latest_app_democratizes_encryption_governments_won_t_be.html First Silent Circle, now private file transfer from phones]
 
*[http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2013/02/silent_circle_s_latest_app_democratizes_encryption_governments_won_t_be.html First Silent Circle, now private file transfer from phones]
 
*[[Configure PGP for Email|PGP email]]
 
*[[Configure PGP for Email|PGP email]]
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*[http://code.google.com/p/torchat/ TOR chat]
 
*[http://code.google.com/p/torchat/ TOR chat]
 
*[https://gli.ph/ Gliph] ''- Secure Texting + Bitcoin Payments''
 
*[https://gli.ph/ Gliph] ''- Secure Texting + Bitcoin Payments''
*[https://www.telegram.org/ Telegram] ''- cloud-based, heavily encrypted, free, open instant messaging''
 
  
 
== Projects ==
 
== Projects ==
 +
*[https://github.com/StreisandEffect/streisand Streisand] ''- very simple to set up reproducible privacy system''
 +
*[https://myshadow.org/resources Me and my shadow] ''- take control of your data''
 +
*[https://nomoregoogle.com/ NoMoreGoogle.com] ''- alternative privacy-aware apps''
 +
*[https://riseup.net RiseUp.net] ''- another alternatives sites''
 
*[https://project.crypto.cat/ Cryptocat] ''- open-source web-based private chat''
 
*[https://project.crypto.cat/ Cryptocat] ''- open-source web-based private chat''
 +
*[https://github.com/nopara73/ZeroLink ZeroLink] ''- very good looking Bitcoin mixer project''
 
*<s>[https://silentcircle.com/index.php Silent Circle]</s> ''- Private comms of email, mobile, voip, IM and teleconferencing, by Dr. Zimmerman and others''
 
*<s>[https://silentcircle.com/index.php Silent Circle]</s> ''- Private comms of email, mobile, voip, IM and teleconferencing, by Dr. Zimmerman and others''
 
*[http://retroshare.sourceforge.net/ Retroshare] ''- Open Source cross-platform, private and secure decentralised communication platform. It lets you to securely chat and share files with your friends and family, using a web-of-trust to authenticate peers and OpenSSL to encrypt all communication. RetroShare provides filesharing, chat, messages, forums and channels''
 
*[http://retroshare.sourceforge.net/ Retroshare] ''- Open Source cross-platform, private and secure decentralised communication platform. It lets you to securely chat and share files with your friends and family, using a web-of-trust to authenticate peers and OpenSSL to encrypt all communication. RetroShare provides filesharing, chat, messages, forums and channels''
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*[http://okturtles.com/ okTurtles + DNSChain] ''- excellent project addressing issues with HTTPS and certificate authority fraud''
 
*[http://okturtles.com/ okTurtles + DNSChain] ''- excellent project addressing issues with HTTPS and certificate authority fraud''
 
*[http://zeronet.io ZeroNet] ''- decentralised websites using Bitcoin crypto and the BitTorrent network''
 
*[http://zeronet.io ZeroNet] ''- decentralised websites using Bitcoin crypto and the BitTorrent network''
 +
*[http://fossbytes.com/mit-anonymity-network-riffle-more-secure-tor/ Rifle] ''- more secure and efficient alternative to Tot and I2P underway at MIT''
 +
*[https://microg.org/ MicroG] ''- a libre software alternative to Android making good progress''
 +
*[https://e.foundation/ e-Foundation] ''- privacy focused phone OS's''
  
 
== Related news ==
 
== Related news ==
 +
*2019-04-07: [https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/software/major-browsers-to-prevent-disabling-of-click-tracking-privacy-risk/ All major browsers except Fierfox and Brave forcing click trackable links]
 +
*2019-01-20: [https://www.businessinsider.com/nest-microphone-was-never-supposed-to-be-a-secret-2019-2 Google says the built-in microphone it never told Nest users about was "never supposed to be a secret"]
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*2019-01-13: [https://ar.al/2019/01/11/i-was-wrong-about-google-and-facebook-theres-nothing-wrong-with-them-so-say-we-all/ Are Google, Facebook, Microsoft and Apple actually pretty cool after all?] ''- Aral Balkan apologises for thinking they might not have our best interests at heart''
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*2018-11-28: [https://medium.com/@googlersagainstdragonfly/we-are-google-employees-google-must-drop-dragonfly-4c8a30c5e5eb We are Google employees. Google must drop Dragonfly]
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*2018-09-05: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eW-OMR-iWOE Ass Access] ''- Honest Government Ad, [https://boingboing.net/2018/09/04/illegal-math.html Oh FFS, not this again!]''
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*2017-09-18: [https://boingboing.net/2017/09/18/antifeatures-for-all.html W3C and Tim Berners-Lee go all fucked up and EFF resigns]
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*2017-07-23: [https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/blog/2017/07/xinjiang-china-police-set-checkpoints-ensure-government-mandated-jingwang-spyware-installed/ In Xinjiang, China, police have set up checkpoints to ensure that the government-mandated "Jingwang" spyware is installed]
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*2017-04-27: [http://www.activistpost.com/2017/04/coalition-forms-to-stop-trump-admin-from-forcing-travelers-to-give-up-passwords.html Coalition Forms To Stop Trump Admin From Forcing Travellers To Give Up Passwords]
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*2017-03-16: [http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11643409 New Zealand Customs likely to get power to gain passwords]
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*2017-03-10: [https://wikileaks.org/ciav7p1/ WikiLeaks "Vault-7" press release]
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*2017-01-20: [https://bitcoinmagazine.com/articles/why-financial-privacy-about-more-using-bitcoin-buy-drugs-internet/ Why Financial Privacy Is About More Than Using Bitcoin to Buy Drugs on the Internet]
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*2016-10-26: [https://bitcoinmagazine.com/articles/with-tumblebit-bitcoin-mixing-may-have-found-its-winning-answer-1477423607 TumbleBit] ''- a mixing protocol that extends CoinSwap ([https://eprint.iacr.org/2016/575.pdf paper], [https://github.com/BUSEC/TumbleBit code])''
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*2015-08-25: [http://www.coindesk.com/bitcoin-privacy-advances-first-coinshuffle-transaction/ Bitcoin Privacy Tool "CoinShuffle" Sees First Transaction]
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*2016-01-04: [http://www.dailydot.com/politics/dutch-encryption-cabinet-backdoor/ Dutch government backs strong encryption, condemns backdoors]
 
*2015-10-10: [https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2015/10/final-leaked-tpp-text-all-we-feared EFF: The Final Leaked TPP Text is All That We Feared]
 
*2015-10-10: [https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2015/10/final-leaked-tpp-text-all-we-feared EFF: The Final Leaked TPP Text is All That We Feared]
 
*2015-02-26: [http://tucker.liberty.me/2015/02/26/net-neutrality-triumph-of-the-ruling-class/ Net Neutrality: Triumph of the Ruling Class]
 
*2015-02-26: [http://tucker.liberty.me/2015/02/26/net-neutrality-triumph-of-the-ruling-class/ Net Neutrality: Triumph of the Ruling Class]
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*[http://www.hiddenfromgoogle.com HiddenFromGoogle.com]
 
*[http://www.hiddenfromgoogle.com HiddenFromGoogle.com]
 
*[http://www.wired.com/2014/08/edward-snowden/ Edward Snowden: The Untold Story] ''- WIRED''
 
*[http://www.wired.com/2014/08/edward-snowden/ Edward Snowden: The Untold Story] ''- WIRED''
 +
*[http://www.outlookindia.com/article/things-that-can-and-cannot-be-said/295796 Things That Can And Cannot Be Said] ''- meeting between Arundhati Roy, John Cusack, Dan Ellsberg and Edward Snowden''
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*[http://fusion.net/story/238742/tor-carnegie-mellon-attack/ The attack that broke the Dark Web—and how Tor plans to fix it]
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*[https://theintercept.com/2016/02/26/eight-memorable-passages-from-apples-fiery-response-to-the-fbi/ Eight Memorable Passages From Apple’s Fiery Response to the FBI]
 +
*[http://groups.csail.mit.edu/mac/classes/6.805/articles/crypto/cypherpunks/may-crypto-manifesto.html The Crypto Anarchist Manifesto] ''- Tim May, 1988''
 +
*[http://www.activism.net/cypherpunk/manifesto.html A Cypherpunk's Manifesto] ''- Eric Hughes, 1993''
 +
*[https://medium.com/s/trustissues/find-out-what-google-and-facebook-know-about-you-31d0fa6d7b61 Find out what Google and Facebook know about you]
 +
*[https://privacyinternational.org/report/2647/how-apps-android-share-data-facebook-report How Apps on Android Share Data with Facebook] ''- even if you don't have an account on Facebook''
 +
*[https://ar.al/2019/02/14/privacy-is-not-a-science-it-is-a-human-right/ Privacy is not a science, it is a human right] ''- Aral Balkan responds to van der Sloots "privacy science" bullshit''
 
[[Category:Philosophy]][[Category:Security]]
 
[[Category:Philosophy]][[Category:Security]]

Revision as of 21:26, 10 April 2019

Glossary.svg This page describes a concept which is part of our glossary
NothingToSay.jpg

Privacy is the resource that is made available by Security which in turn is a collection of tools for allowing information and resource to be made available only to selected people or groups. In OrganicDesign this means that our peer-to-peer network must have a good distributed encryption and authentication mechanism in place so that trust groups can contain private information securely and persistently even when none of the members are online.

Having very good encryption is important because these days more and more sensitive information needs to be stored in a robust distributed way while remaining fully private and under our own control. Examples of such information are passwords and private keys, scanned identification documents, personal correspondence and these days even digital money.

Many people believe that, if you have nothing to hide, there is nothing to fear from all this scrutiny. But if you resist the urge to pick your nose while others are present, or close the door when you go to the toilet, you are a privacy advocate. "When you realise that your whole life is under view," says the Tory MP David Davis, "it’s inhibiting." (from Can you disappear in surveillance Britain?). For more detailed information on this aspect of privacy, see Debunking a myth: If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear.

Quote.pngIf you have something that you don't want anyone to know, maybe you shouldn't be doing it in the first place.
— Eric Schmidt (CEO of Google)

Real security a myth?

Security camera--.jpg

There isn't much confidence in real privacy these days with all the rumors and/or facts of "back doors" and quantum computers which can achieve seemingly miraculous computational power. But before getting sucked into all the hype, bear this simple foundation in mind - if two people share a private random block of information used one time only to encrypt a message of the same size, it is mathematically impossible to break, even by quantum computation - it is said to exhibit information theoretic security. It is only the level of organisation required amongst participants that currently makes this method impractical - in practice the network would usually combine this method with traditional methods.

Anonymous search

The DuckDuckGo search engine is a meta-search mechanism that gives the same results as Google, but is cleaner and preserves your privacy. It's a little slower to come up with results, but presents them in a nicer way and uses AJAX to maximise its usability.

Anonymous Internet browsing

Apart from the standard practice of using HTTPS connections when working with private content, it is also important to preserve anonymity - i.e. not giving away any information about the source of the web page requests. We use the Firefox browser with the TorButton add-on. There also another called FoxTor but I haven't tried that one yet. These solutions both use the TOR (The Onion Router) to achieve anonymity.

The add-on is easy enough to install, but I found that I also needed to apt-get install polipo and change the port settings in the TorButton preferences. The HTTP and SSL had to be changed from 8118 to 8123 and the SOCKS from 9050 to 4424. I found the ports that polipo was using with netstat -lp|grep polipo. After installation, you can check if it's working by switching it on and then checking your ip address and its estimated geographical location.

Another useful related addon to Firefox is the User Agent Switcher.

Private communications apps and info

Projects

  • Streisand - very simple to set up reproducible privacy system
  • Me and my shadow - take control of your data
  • NoMoreGoogle.com - alternative privacy-aware apps
  • RiseUp.net - another alternatives sites
  • Cryptocat - open-source web-based private chat
  • ZeroLink - very good looking Bitcoin mixer project
  • Silent Circle - Private comms of email, mobile, voip, IM and teleconferencing, by Dr. Zimmerman and others
  • Retroshare - Open Source cross-platform, private and secure decentralised communication platform. It lets you to securely chat and share files with your friends and family, using a web-of-trust to authenticate peers and OpenSSL to encrypt all communication. RetroShare provides filesharing, chat, messages, forums and channels
  • Waterken
  • GNU Privacy Guard (GPG) - GNU implementation of the OpenPGP standard
  • StrongSwan - IPsec for Linux
  • Onion Pi - TOR on Pi
  • prism-break.org - stop reporting your online activities to the US government with these free alternatives to proprietary software
  • Tails - Debian with onion, takeaway style!
  • Private Internet Access (PIA) - VPN provider committed to privacy, no logging and excellent legal support
  • Silent Vault - using voucher-safe to make bitcoin anonymous
  • okTurtles + DNSChain - excellent project addressing issues with HTTPS and certificate authority fraud
  • ZeroNet - decentralised websites using Bitcoin crypto and the BitTorrent network
  • Rifle - more secure and efficient alternative to Tot and I2P underway at MIT
  • MicroG - a libre software alternative to Android making good progress
  • e-Foundation - privacy focused phone OS's

Related news

See also