Re: Google is preparing to replace RCS with MLS

Andrew, 2024-07-21 15:49:

Arno Welzel wrote on Sun, 21 Jul 2024 13:53:41 +0200 :
 

My plan is to set up the phone so that it's efficient for...
a. Daily use
b. Backup & restore
c. Privacy

>
I do the same. And I use my phone daily and also as 2FA for a number of
accounts. And *because* it is also used for 2FA I need some kind of
protection.

 
Philosophy can & should be different among intelligent knowledgeable
people, where I *never* use MFA/2FA/2SV because of the privacy flaws.

What security flaw is known for TOTP? Can you be more specific?

[...]>> If you don't have any data at all on the phone - yes, then it it
safe

without any kind of lock.

 
Huh? I have plenty of personal data on my phone in encrypted containers.

No, you have them in encrypted containers. The same container can be
everywhere else as well. So it is not stored on the phone itself.

[...]

Most people lock their phone because they don't use encrypted containers.

Newer Android devices encrypt *all* data stored on them. The whole data
partition is encrypted. And the lock mechanism is part of the security
concept!

They live in abject fear, quivering & shaking that their data is insecure.

Bullshit!

[...]

No. MMS uses data transmission and requires a data plan. Without a data
plan, MMS gets *very* expensive since data is then charge by its amount
where even 1 MB of data can cost more than 1 USD.

 
The main point is simply that any messaging that requires a login/password
to a specific Internet server is a metadata privacy hole by design.

Which is not the case for many messaging apps.

[...]

This is what I call "do not store *any* personal data on it, even no
phone numbers" - because an encrypted container is not "storing data on
the phone. An encrypted container can not be used to choose a person to
call in the phone app and you can also not see any calendar entries or
send/recieve messages this way.

 
Huh? My contacts are NOT in the default sqlite file, on purpose.

You don't understand how Android storage works. There is no "default
sqlite file" for contacts.

But I still have my contacts in each of my communication apps.

Then you *have* data stored on your phone! And of course *those*
contacts are *not* in "encrypted containers".

I don't have to lock my phone just to keep my contacts private from
Internet servers (which most people upload to without even knowing it).

Enabling a screen lock has *nothing* to do with "keeping contacts
private from internet servers"!

Even WhatsApp is used without contacts - since it doesn't need them
(if you know how a phone works - which is why I say that anyone who locks
their phone, I feel sorry for - because either they live in the slums, or,
they don't know how to use computers).

That's one reasone why I don't use WhatsApp.

Also SMS *is* personal data. So if you send or receive SMS you already
have personal data on the phone.

 
I'm actually surprised you don't understand how SMS is different from
establishing a login/password on an additional Internet server, Arno.

The SMS messages are personal data!

And about my knowledge: I am a software developer who also maintains
Android apps:

<https://github.com/arnowelzel/>

--
Arno Welzel
https://arnowelzel.de