“The Smartphone Is a Pact with the Devil” Says Super-Hacker

Published in Folha
(Brazil) on 28 May 2012
by Marco Aurelio Canonico (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Jane Dorwart. Edited by Katya Abazajian.
He was called "the pest who shames companies into fixing security flaws" in a profile in Wired magazine, and was listed as one of "top ten hackers on the internet" by PCWorld, thanks to the influence of his actions on the web.

The American Christopher Soghoian, 30, built this reputation -- and a career -- denouncing ports in the systems of companies such as Google, Facebook and AT&T, which could be used to reveal the data of its users.

He will come to Brazil for the first time this week to participate in a conference on Human Rights & Technology RightsCon, which will happen next Thursday (May 31st) and Friday in Rio.

“Toxic Model”

He will participate in a panel on "The Future of Online Business Models" on Friday at 11:45. His view on this matter: The current business model on the web does not allow for privacy, and therefore, it should not have a future.

"This model is supported by advertising, by which we receive free services in exchange for our data, and it is toxic and fundamentally incompatible with the protection of our privacy,” said Soghoian by telephone to Folha from Washington where he lives.

"Although we are all using free services, it is a bad deal and we need to consider paying for emails as we pay for phone calls."

With paying users, this American believes that businesses could (if they want) abandon the storage of private data, because they will not need it anymore to gain profit.

In this way, the sources with which the government regularly watches its citizens will cease to be available.

"Our personal data is more and more in the hands of business, and is helping the government in surveillance. Their roles as facilitators are not well known. My focus has been to explore and expose this relationship."

Slight Paranoia

Author of the blog Slight Paranoia (paranoia.dubfire.net), Soghoian, describes himself as "basically a hippy.”

"That's what the majority of people think when they see me. I am a vegetarian, have long hair and a beard, travel by bicycle and only wear a shirt and shorts to my meetings."

An interest in the legal aspects of online privacy emerged in 2006, after having his house invaded by the FBI. He taught on a site how to get around security in airports with fake boarding passes, so as to expose the weakness in the system. "I have always had problems with authorities. I don't like to be told what to do."

Spying is Cheap

Soghoian says that government surveillance is cheaper and more efficient with the advancement of technology and thanks to the support of private industries.

Just a few years ago there was a complex system of surveillance that was much more complex and expensive, and it forced the government to limit its targets.

Today, everyone can be a target because it is cheap to see everyone. In the end, a large part of us are carrying a "secret agent" in our pockets, the smart phone.

"They represent a deal with the devil. We get extremely convenient devices, but they are not working to our benefit. Applications can extract data and send it without consulting us. Businesses can ask our cellphones to show them our locations. The smart phone is like a government secret agent, for which we are paying"


'Smartphone é acordo com o diabo', diz super-hacker


foi chamado de "a peste que envergonha as empresas para que corrijam falhas de segurança", em perfil da revista "Wired", e foi listado como um dos "dez manipuladores da internet" pela "PC World", graças à influência de suas ações na rede.

O americano Christopher Soghoian, 30, construiu essa reputação --e uma carreira-- denunciando brechas em sistemas de companhias, como Google, Facebook e AT&T, que levavam à exposição dos dados de seus usuários.
Ele virá pela primeira vez ao Brasil nesta semana para participar da conferência de direitos humanos e tecnologia RightsCon, que acontece nas próximas quinta e sexta, no Rio.
"MODELO TÓXICO"
Ele participará do painel "O Futuro do Modelo de Negócios On-line", na sexta, às 11h45. Sua visão sobre o tema: o atual modelo de negócios na rede não combina com privacidade e, portanto, não deveria ter futuro.
Graeme Mitchell

Christopher Soghoian, 30, hacker que vem ao Brasil
"Esse modelo apoiado em publicidade, no qual recebemos serviços de graça em troca de nossos dados, é tóxico e fundamentalmente incompatível com a proteção da nossa privacidade", diz Soghoian à Folha por telefone, de Washington, onde mora.
"Apesar de estarmos todos usando serviços gratuitos, é um mau negócio, e deveríamos considerar pagar por e-mails da mesma forma que pagamos por ligações."
Com os usuários pagando, crê o americano, as empresas poderiam (se quisessem) deixar de armazenar dados privados, pois não precisariam mais deles para lucrar.
Com isso, deixariam de ser as fontes às quais os governos recorrem regularmente para vigiar seus cidadãos.
"Nossos dados pessoais estão cada vez mais nas mãos de empresas, e elas ajudam governos na vigilância. Seus papéis como facilitadoras não são bem conhecidos. Meu foco tem sido explorar e expor esse relacionamento."
LEVE PARANOIA
Autor do blog Slight Paranoia ("leve paranoia", em inglês; paranoia.dubfire.net), Soghoian se descreve como "basicamente um hippie".
"É o que a maioria das pessoas pensa quando me vê. Sou vegetariano, tenho cabelo comprido, barba, me desloco de bicicleta e sou o único de camiseta e bermuda em todas as minhas reuniões."
O interesse por aspectos legais da privacidade on-line emergiu em 2006, após ter a casa invadida pelo FBI -ele ensinara, num site, a driblar o controle de segurança nos aeroportos, com cartões de embarque falsos; queria expor a fragilidade do sistema. "Sempre tive problemas com autoridades. Não gosto que me digam o que fazer."

Editoria de Arte/Folhapress


ESPIONAR É BARATO
Soghoian diz que a vigilância governamental ficou mais barata e eficiente com o avanço tecnológico e graças ao apoio das empresas privadas.
Até poucos anos atrás, ter um aparato de vigilância era complexo e caro, o que forçava o governo a limitar os alvos. Hoje, todo mundo pode ser alvo, porque é barato vigiar todos -afinal, boa parte de nós leva um "agente secreto" no próprio bolso: o smartphone.
"Eles são um acordo com o diabo. Ganhamos esses aparelhos extremamente convenientes, mas eles não trabalham em nosso benefício. Aplicativos podem vasculhar dados e enviá-los sem nos consultar. As empresas podem pedir para nossos
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