Category: Encryption

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What Pavel Durov’s arrest means for social media and smart device manufacturers

A Reuters press release informs of the arrest in France of Pavel Durov, founder and CEO of Telegram, with dual Russian and French citizenship. According to TF1, the reason for the arrest is the lack of content moderation, the failure to cooperate with law enforcement and the type of ‘tools’ -such as cryptocurrencies and disposable phone numbers- freely available on the platform. The French investigators considered that in doing so, Durov did not merely ‘fail to control’ but was a real accomplice in the commission of the crimes. Since we do not have access to the case file of this affair, and therefore do not know whether there are indications of Durov’s involvement in specific acts, it is not possible to say more on the merits. However, this case does allow for some more general reflections on the subject of Big Tech’s liability for the way it designs devices and services that control our existence. by Andrea Monti – Initially published in Italian by Strategikon – Italian Tech La Repubblica

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Apple’s sense of Privacy

Big Tech has always – like any other industry – promoted institutional contacts at various levels to represent its demands to legislators and intervene on measures that endanger its interests. ‘Institutional relations’ consultants – lobbyists, in other words – spend their time gathering information on what is happening in the precints of power and, on the other hand, make available documents, technical analyses and statistical data that decision-makers often do not have the means or the opportunity to obtain, or support public events organised by institutional actors as a form of ‘civil engagement’ and ‘social responsibility’. For some time now, however, the activity of influencing political choices has also begun to extend to interaction with civil society – activists and associations for the defence of ‘digital rights’ – and then, finally, directly to the people, or rather, to people’s perception of the concept of rights by Andrea Monti –  Initally published in Italian by Strategikon – Italian Tech La Repubblica Continue reading “Apple’s sense of Privacy”

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Encryption and the EU: all the chikens coming home to roost

The First Report on Encryption recently published by the EU Innovation Hub for Internal Security contains the guidelines and desiderata on encryption of EU structures dealing with security and crime fighting, and highlights the unresolved contradictions of the free availability of cryptographic technologies by Andrea Monti – Adjunct Professor of Digital Law – University of Chieti-Pescara – Initially published in Italian by Formiche.net Continue reading “Encryption and the EU: all the chikens coming home to roost”

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What the Chinese ban of Whatsapp, Telegram and Signal from Apple’s App Store means

According to the Wall Street Journal, Apple has removed or is about to remove a number of programmes from the Chinese version of its App Store, including Whatsapp, Threads, Telegram and Signal on the basis of national security concerns expressed by Beijing by Andrea Monti – Initially published in Italian on Strategikon – an Italian Tech – La Repubblica blog Continue reading “What the Chinese ban of Whatsapp, Telegram and Signal from Apple’s App Store means”