NDAA passed: Internet and Online Streaming Services Emergency Alert Study

Thu Jan 7 08:21:07 UTC 2021

On Thu, Jan 07, 2021 at 01:27:07AM +1300, Mark Foster wrote:
> I respect this in principle, but hyperbole serves no-one - a smartphone
> only creates a "morass of privacy/security issues" if you let it.

You can't be serious.  Have you paid *any* attention to what's been
going on in this ecosystem for the past N years?  It's not as bad as the
raging dumpsterfire in the IoT, but it's still bad.

Why would I want to give myself security/privacy issues (that I currently
don't have and thus don't need to solve/manage on an ongoing basis) in
exchange for functionality I don't need or want?

> A basic smartphone can be had for less than $100 USD, which would give
> you calling, text messaging and emergency alerts.

It would also give me a much less sturdy device and one that chews up its
battery doing things that I have no use for.  I [sometimes] use my phone
for critical communications in hostile environments, so anything that
doesn't increase the probability that it will work is just baggage.
And as a bonus it would cost me more every time I lose or destroy one.

---rsk