Episode 39 - Conversation With The Hated One - AI, GrapheneOS, Brax Phone, The Future

Podcast Show Notes
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– TOPICS –

Questions From Matrix / SimpleX

  • Corvid - What censorship circumvention techniques do you use or recommend if any since VPN protocols are quite recognizable? Tor is slow and not universal so are there any techniques you use or recommend?

  • b3wildered - Make sure you mention how amazing Steam is and how great it is to have an AI girlfriend. I’m sure he’ll appreciate that :rofl:

Reports: China hacked Verizon and AT&T, may have accessed US wiretap systems

Germany Rushes to Expand Biometric Surveillance

Braxman - Non-Caveman Alternatives to iPhones and Google Androids! Find Safe Phones that don’t Track You

  • **“Decentralization vs. Centralization: The Future of Digital Privacy”**A deep dive into how decentralized platforms like SimpleX and Matrix are changing the landscape of online privacy, compared to the control and surveillance seen in centralized platforms like Facebook and Google.

  • **“The Illusion of Privacy: How Big Tech Continues to Track You”**A conversation on the hidden ways Big Tech companies track users, how surveillance capitalism operates, and what users can do to minimize their exposure.

  • **“Privacy for Activists and Dissidents: Staying Safe in a Surveillance State”**An episode focused on how activists, whistleblowers, and dissidents can protect themselves online, with practical advice on tools, encryption, and communication strategies.

  • **“Social Media Blackouts: When Platforms Silence Voices and What to Do About It”**Exploring how platforms like X/Twitter or YouTube censor or deplatform creators and movements, and what alternatives exist for those seeking free speech and censorship resistance.

  • **“The Dark Side of Digital Convenience: How Convenience Compromises Privacy”**A discussion on how apps and devices like smart home tech, digital wallets, and convenience features are slowly eroding privacy and what people often overlook in the trade-off for ease of use.

  • **“The Rise of Privacy-Focused Messaging Apps: Why WhatsApp and Telegram Aren’t Enough”**A critical look at so-called “private” messaging platforms, comparing them to truly privacy-first alternatives like Signal, SimpleX, and other encrypted solutions.

  • **“Online Privacy Myths: Debunking Common Misconceptions About Anonymity and Data Security”**An episode where Simon and The Hated One debunk popular myths about digital privacy, offering listeners a clearer understanding of what it truly takes to stay anonymous and secure online.

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@Simon Great guest and great episode. I liked the longer format, too.

There’s just one thing I would like to challenge - the GrapheneOS drama. I think it is understandable why someone would distrust the project after seeing the owner’s behavior. I don’t know why you both went so hard on the offense trying to make people like that sound completely irrational.

In real life, it is enough to do much less to distrust a business. Let’s say you go to a restaurant and one of the staff members is impolite. It is totally normal for the customer not come again. You could argue that GrapheneOS is different because you are not paying for the product. Still, if I a homeless person went to a soup kitchen and one of the volunteers disrespected them, they might choose not to come again. You wouldn’t start judging them saying that they are irrational for doing that, arguing that the chef who made the food is really professional or that they have good food quality control etc.

If the owner of a software project publicly says things that gives an impression (whether that is true or false) that they might be mentally ill, it is not strange that people lose trust in the project. Being free and open source is not a panacea. If someone decided to compromise a project, I would have no way to detect that. I am not even remotely qualified. The same goes for a lot of people in the community. It is not like 99% of users are doing code reviews for each commit and then compiling their own builds. The project being free doesn’t mean someone couldn’t sneak in an exploit out of spite or after being bribed. A lot of the things are just based on trust and reputation of the project.

I understand that you are trying to defend GrapheneOS and that you don’t want people to ditch a great project just because they dislike one of the developers. I feel you. Still, I don’t think there’s anything strange about what happened and the way people reacted. Some tech influencers spoke their mind against GrapheneOS publicly and ruffled some feathers and not everything they said was 100% rational.

However, maybe this was exactly what GrapheneOS project needed. I would argue that the project PR is something just as important as the codebase. Maybe this was a good warning to the project to start thinking and moderating how the team communicates. Maybe fixing these things early on could have a huge positive impact on the future of the project. If you were a business who cared about security and wanted their staff to use a custom ROM, which project would you choose, one where the team acts very professional and have a good reputation or one with loudmouths and lots of controversy?

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You have some very good points and I do agree with you. Daniel was the wrong choice to have as the voice of GOS for sure. However, I will say that I personally when it comes to extreme privacy and security options am willing to overlook the personality of one individual and choose the project based on the merits of the tech. Many could say they can’t stand Elon Musk but still buy a Tesla, or choose Starling because it’s the best option available.

I’m glad that they restructured and changed their internal staff for external communications. If they want the project to be successful then it was absolutely necessary. I think you have some valid points and again I don’t disagree with you at all. A lot of this comes down to ego as well. Some of the “influencers” make content, they rely on getting views and clicks, any controversy is good for their own content as well.