this post was submitted on 21 Nov 2024
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12
Couldn't governments just remotely disable phones nearby to prevent evidence of police brutality from being recorded? (lemmy.dbzer0.com)
submitted 7 months ago by IDKWhatUsernametoPutHereLolol@lemmy.dbzer0.com to c/nostupidquestions@lemmy.world
17 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

I mean, I see "leaked" videos of protests in authoritarian countries like China and just wonder why they dont just like make a backdoor that disables videos from being recorded. Or use some sort of 0-day exploit that installs malware on their phones and disable cameras.

I mean, I can't be the only one that thought of it, right? Surely someone in the government would've thought of it.

Wonder why such tactic isn't being used.

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[–] KeepFlying@lemmy.world 18 points 7 months ago (1 children)

You'd likely only be able to use it effectively once before people seek out different recording devices, or just the knowledge that cameras were disabled in that area would be as damning as any video.

Especially for any zero-day exploits. As soon as it gets used people start protecting against them so they often don't work for very long. It would need to be a pretty big coverup to be worth burning an exploit on. Especially if it's likely that at least one person in the area wouldn't be susceptible and could still record it.

[–] otp@sh.itjust.works 4 points 7 months ago (1 children)

just the knowledge that cameras were disabled in that area would be as damning as any video.

I wish it worked that way. Logically yes, but not in court (as far as I'm aware). At least not when the offending officer is on the stand

[–] KeepFlying@lemmy.world 7 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Looking at how bad our current system is, there's clearly no need to prevent the videos from getting out because the officer can get away with it despite that.

And even if the officer doesn't, the department can just scapegoat them and just keep doing the same things.

All the more reason to not waste a 0-day or risk the knowledge of a backdoor getting out.

[–] femtech@midwest.social 16 points 7 months ago (1 children)

The only thing that they could do quickly is have the towers shut down or bring a hammer. But both of those require more then just a for fun ask. Also street cops usually don't have access to CIA level exploits. Look at what happened with stingray cell towers, local cops got access and people got wise to it since they overused it and used it for low level crimes.

[–] NeoNachtwaechter@lemmy.world 3 points 7 months ago (2 children)

only thing that they could do

Not true. Have you never heard of IMSI catchers?

[–] Septimaeus@infosec.pub 2 points 7 months ago

Stingrays = Kleenex of IMSI catchers

[–] Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world 9 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Don't give them ideas!

[–] slazer2au@lemmy.world 4 points 7 months ago

Because if they can do it, what is stopping another government doing it to them during a crisis?

You generally want to keep your capabilities hidden until you need them for something important.

[–] BearOfaTime@lemm.ee 3 points 7 months ago (1 children)

OK, how?

[–] Death_Equity@lemmy.world 3 points 7 months ago

A government could mandate that a company, like Apple, must install a remote deactivation and give access to that feature to the government.

There is no knowing if they already do, because there hasn't been a good reason to use it, that we know of; it wouldn't be impossible to make people disappear who have experienced such a thing.

[–] BonerMan@ani.social 2 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Nah they dont actually have the abilities for that. Especially not some street cop murdering puppies or shit like that.

[–] BearOfaTime@lemm.ee 1 points 7 months ago (1 children)

They may. I really don't know. We could go round and round about it, there are lots of arguments for both perspectives.

If a government does have this capability, they aren't likely to use it on a whim and have it be exposed.

[–] BonerMan@ani.social 1 points 7 months ago

Nobody would give some idiot with one week training a EMP device or access to the CIA technology. This would result in the biggest Chaos imaginable.

[–] schnurrito@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 7 months ago (1 children)

I mean you're kinda getting into "Stallman was right" territory here. Obviously computers (including smartphones) should not be disabling any functionality without the owner's consent, but we do not live in a free software utopia.

How would that backdoor be activated? If over the Internet, it can be trivially avoided by not connecting the phone to the Internet.

And in the end someone is going to bring a standalone camera that can't even be connected to the Internet.