This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.
I use a one time pad with all of my contacts. I ask them to eat or burn each page when they are used up.
until the republicans ban them so they can find queer kids and pregnant people getting healthcare and people reading books
On January 20th: The cyberattack is coming from inside the house!
Dumbfuck and his cronies now have access to PRISM and ECHELON. Again.
Question for more tech savvy people: should I be worried about wiping old data, and if so for which apps? Just messaging apps, or also email and social media? Or can I just use the encrypted apps moving forward?
That depends on the privacy protections where you live and the policies of each service:
For the first two, I wouldn't bother. I personally poisoned my data with Reddit before leaving, because I've heard of then reversing deletions. For the third, deleting may make sense.
But in general, I'd keep your other accounts open until you fully transition to the new one.
Below is information when considering a replacement service.
Anything where data is stored on a server you don't directly control can be leaked or subpoenad from the org that owns that server. Any unencrypted communication can be intercepted, and any regular encryption (HTTPS) can be logged by that server (e.g. under court order without notifying the customer).
Even "secure" services can be ordered to keep logs. Here's an example from Proton mai, and here's one involving Tutanota.
So it depends on your threat model, or in other words, who you're trying to keep away from your data. Just think about how screwed you might be if:
The answers to the above should help you decide which to type of service you'd feel comfortable with, and what tradeoffs you're willing to make.
the safest perspective to have is this -
every single thing you send online is going to be there forever. "the cloud" is someone's server and constitutes online. even end to end encryption isn't necessarily going to save you.
for example iCloud backup is encrypted. but Apple in the past has kept a copy of your encryption key on your iCloud. why? because consumers who choose to encrypt and lose their passwords are gonna freak out when all their data is effectively gone forever.
so when FBI comes a'knocking to Apple with a subpoena.. once they get access to that encryption key it doesn't matter if you have the strongest encryption in the world
my advice
never ever ever write something online that you do not want everybody in the world seeing.
to put on my tin foil hat, i believe government probably has access to methods that break modern encryptions. in theory with quantum computers it shouldn't be difficult
I'd imagine operating a quantum computer for blanket surveillance is cost-prohibitive, but yea, if you've given them reason to look at you just assume they have the means to break your encryption.
just wanted to add that deleting an app will not result in deletion of your data stored in the cloud (e.g. your emails)
Wiping old stuff won't hurt, but they might not actually delete it.
The US Govt 5 years ago: e2e encryption is for terrorists. The govt should have backdoors.
The US Govt now: Oh fuck, our back door got breached, everyone quick use e2e encryption asap!
More like 23 years ago when the Patriot Act was signed, and every time it has been re-authorized/renamed since. Every President since Bush Jr. is complicit, and I'm getting most of them in the previous 70-ish years (or more) wish they could've had that bill as well.
Different parts of the government. Both existed then and now. There has for a long time been a substantial portion of the government, especially defense and intelligence, that rely on encrypted comms and storage.
