• @xmunk@sh.itjust.works
      link
      fedilink
      830 days ago

      Everyone knows that if a member of the PRC’s secret police took a plane to LAX they’d be physically unable to write malware or backdoors. America has a circle of protection cast over it that prevents malicious actors.

      Obviously, yea, we should empower an agency to check all software for backdoors… and, ideally, they should be checking for shit from the NSA too.

      • Software is easy. It’s the hardware backdoors that are hard to find, and those have been being built for at least a decade. They were pretty simple to start; I can’t imagine what they’re capable of hiding in 5nm process chips.

        • @xmunk@sh.itjust.works
          link
          fedilink
          630 days ago

          The hardware backdoors are pretty difficult to find… but I object to your statement that software is easy. The obfuscated C contest is a wonderful demonstration.

          • You know the best way to analyze a submission to the OCCC? Compile it, then run the result through a disassembler. You get back far more readable code than the source.

            But you’re right; reading code isn’t easy; I meant relatively. If you have government-level resources and can hire a bunch of experienced software developers to review source code, armed with a bunch if static analysis tools (<cough>NSA), you have a decent chance of finding malicious code in software. I know of no similar tools (and the automated software analysis tools are the important factor) for finding backdoors in hardware.

    • @barsquid@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      729 days ago

      Just for cars, though, right? If both cars and telecoms aren’t allowed to freely sell our data to police how will the government continue violating our 4th Amendment rights?

  • Admiral Patrick
    link
    fedilink
    English
    2130 days ago

    Why just China? I don’t trust any “connected” product regardless of country of origin.

    • @atx_aquarian@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      1
      edit-2
      30 days ago

      I’m not even really sure any of it is really about China. This AP article updating about the progress of the attempt to ban DJI drones suggests Autel as “Best DJI drone alternative”. Autel, a Chinese company based in Shenzhen.

      Edit: I suppose that could just be the author(s) making an error, but, given the focus on one company in the drone market and a total lack of evidence about security concerns, I just wonder if these aren’t all just companies trying to buy market control through lobbying.

  • I’d like to see a law that the owner can always see where data traffic is going from a product and selectively start or stop it whenever they want. Maybe this would make part our all of the product temporarily unusable or throw a flag somewhere else in the system depending on the purpose (as specified in prepurchase literature), but it should be transparently allowed. That’s how consent works. I can dream

  • @Rooskie91
    link
    1029 days ago

    Excited for this to lead to Chinese EVs that don’t steal your data and far outpace US EV sales anyways.

    • @angstylittlecatboy@reddthat.com
      link
      fedilink
      English
      830 days ago

      There are security concerns. Cars are the worst product category for privacy. The issue is that goes for all cars, not just cars from opposing superpowers.

      • brianorca
        link
        fedilink
        229 days ago

        TBH, all connected cars have security concerns, but cars built by an opposing superpower would have National Security concerns, too. The two concerns are related, but separate.