evacide"Eva," you ask, "What does good, practical digital privacy advice for abortion-seekers look like if I'm not supposed to tell them to download Tails?"
It looks like this: https://digitaldefensefund.org/ddf-guides/abortion-privacy
ninavizz@evacide How to scream from the rooftop "I have never studied human behavior," without saying a darn thing.
Like, the POINT of a threat model, is to grok that NOT everything needs Tails—and that stupid-simple opsec goes a LONG way!!!
Harry Hall@ninavizz @evacide Tails IS stupid simple SecOps. It covers multiple threat types under a single system that you would normally have to address independently. It's not even difficult to use. Grab a USB, write an image, reboot while holding a key, select the right thing in the menu and voila. It even had a Windows XP interface option if you aren't familiar with Linux.
What more could you want? It's literally designed for this type of scenario.
@areyouevenreal "Difficulty" is not the problem. Annoying, unfamiliar, and cumbersome, is. Even in user research with infosec dorks, many more than you'd think too often cut corners for simple convenience—without even realizing it. A simpler and more fundamental understanding of opesec and how data is used, goes much farther.
@evacide
@evacide
@areyouevenreal If users are simply "told" to do something "by the experts" but they fail to understand the risks, motivation remains low. That's just human nature. :) @evacide
shreyan@areyouevenreal @ninavizz @evacide Sorry, do you really expect an ordinary abortion-seeker to do all that for something as basic as privacy? Like sure, people like you and me can actually take the time to understand Tails and how to use it. But seriously. Most abortion-seekers will not do this.
@shreyan Boom. Yes, privacy—while we understand to be of long-term existential consequence within *our* nrrd view of the world—is only ONE part of the broader existential crisis that pregnancy can be. As privacy peeps, we're bringing service and support pregnant folks can meaningfully work with, when we pause to respect that. @areyouevenreal @evacide
@areyouevenreal @ninavizz @evacide
Not everyone has a "reasonable understanding of computers", and it's somewhat arrogant (not sure if that's the word I was looking for) to require them to.
Tyler@shreyan @areyouevenreal @ninavizz @evacide so much ^
I _am_ an expert computer user and "just install tails" advice screams techbro incoherence.
90% of the target for that suggestion would respond with: what's an image? my phone doesn't have USB? how do I hold a key while rebooting my iPhone?
the linked article is good advice. don't let "better than good, but also masturbatory privacy geekery" be the enemy of "good"
@woodlandsquid @shreyan @ninavizz @evacide The article has some great advice on what to do if you use a phone. I still would recommend Onion Browser instead of a VPN for an iPhone though because it's free and more secure. It's also simpler than installing both a VPN app and Firefox Focus. If you want to use a computer either Tails or Tor Browser is still the best advice I feel. Tor needs more emphasis I feel.
The issue I have is that the original message discourages people recommending Tails.
@woodlandsquid @shreyan @ninavizz @evacide I have made separate recommendations for people who only have iPhone or Android phones. I think this is a minority of people though.
I can't see in any way recommending Tails is incoherent unless you're talking to the technologically illiterate. The tech illiterate wouldn't follow the guide either though, because I doubt they are going to use a VPB correctly either. Onion Browser is better in this regard as it's just one app and doesn't keep history.
@areyouevenreal It's TMI, is the point. My god, have you NEVER had an existential, highly emotional crisis that has you puking multiple times a day, out of your mind on hormones, and could mean losing your family AND your partner... but ohey, lets all go do all this strange new technology stuff that I don't understand the point of, too?
@areyouevenreal The simple steps Eva is reccommending, are the most BASIC things—and also, probably the limit of what a person in such an omgwtf space can handle.
Can you work on your own car or bicycle? Bake a souffle? Sew a new wardrobe, hunt your own food? Why not, if not? Its ok to not be in the market to learn new skills. Eva's limiting in her reccommendations is the right thing. I study humans & technology, mkay?
@woodlandsquid @shreyan @evacide
@ninavizz @areyouevenreal @woodlandsquid @evacide
Because tech is supposed to make things *easier* and *better* for vulnerable people. Not make them do more.
@ninavizz @woodlandsquid @shreyan @evacide Making an outfit from scratch is harder than using a premade solution like Tails. I can sew well enough to fix things. I can bake quite a few things - though I have never tried soufflé but I am fairly confident I could do. The only reason I don't work on cars is because I don't own one. You've chosen a bad person to use this argument on.
I get what you're saying though. If Tails is too hard use Tor Browser/Onion Browser/Orfox and Telegram.
@ninavizz
Then why make technological recommendations at all?
Surly the best advice is leave the country or the state to somewhere that supports abortions and then worry about it.
That would be my first advice to someone in this situation.
Cause if use Tor or use Tails is too much, then following everything in that article to the letter is also TMI.
You can presumably get to another state on a bus or car. (Am not American so feel free to correct me)
@woodlandsquid @shreyan @evacide
Then why make technological recommendations at all?
Surly the best advice is leave the country or the state to somewhere that supports abortions and then worry about it.
That would be my first advice to someone in this situation.
Cause if use Tor or use Tails is too much, then following everything in that article to the letter is also TMI.
You can presumably get to another state on a bus or car. (Am not American so feel free to correct me)
@woodlandsquid @shreyan @evacide
@areyouevenreal Those cost money and are often not an option—you've clearly never had an abortion. You're not getting it. Tails is for people with a different threat model. The threat model is everything. Brad's sister is not Chelsea Manning.
@areyouevenreal @ninavizz @woodlandsquid @evacide
anywhere between $75 and $2500
and yes, people often do not have the resources to get an abortion, thanks to both the cost and hostile laws (and other factors)
@shreyan @ninavizz @woodlandsquid @evacide In that situation I don't think there's anything you can do. Like following that advice isn't going to help you get an abortion if you can't afford one or can't move to where you can get one. Wether you follow that advice or follow my advice isn't going to make any difference in that situation from my understanding.
@areyouevenreal Anyhow, you are mansplaining to women how we are or are not on the mark with our security recommendations to other women in crisis. Please just stop. I'm going to stop responding, at this point. @shreyan @woodlandsquid @evacide
@ninavizz @areyouevenreal @woodlandsquid @evacide
I'm no woman, but some things are very painfully obvious to anyone sensible
@areyouevenreal Often teenagers and housewives; so just the $75 to $2500 is going to impose a lot of communication needs to fundraise. Get Signal. Just use Signal. Other stuff Eva recommended. For godsakkes, no Tails. Done. @woodlandsquid @shreyan @evacide
@areyouevenreal @ninavizz @woodlandsquid @evacide
Look, don't take this personally, but you really managed to outdo yourself with this one somehow
@shreyan @ninavizz @woodlandsquid @evacide There must be something here I don't get. I would have thought that someone in this situation would have to go somewhere where abortions are legal eventually anyway.
Can you tell me what I am not understanding?
@areyouevenreal Illegal abortions are ubiquitous, and often cause women to go sterile or die—but they take the risk (and providers embrace the exploitation), to avoid the life-changing consequences of childbirth. People seeking out THOSE are who Eva's guide is most likely to be used by—and who law enforcement want to catch. People truly in the depths of desperation. @shreyan @woodlandsquid @evacide
@ninavizz @shreyan @woodlandsquid @evacide Yeah that's why the lae needs to change. It's truly a terrible situation to be in. I just don't see how any of that goes against what I am saying about Tor or Tails. Like one of us is putting 1 and 1 together and getting 3.
@areyouevenreal Humans have limits. Limiting recommendations means that safe choices are more likely to be embraced. Fact of human reality, from someone who studies their behavior with technology. Yes, we want the law to change, too. Have a good weekend.
@areyouevenreal Intensely human situations are hard to understand through internet conversation. Women fundraise like MAD from friends and family, to get abortions—which is what LEOs look to intercept. Have you never read the threat model? I suggest you do some googling to learn stories of poor women desperate for abortions, to learn what they were up against and what resource they had. Many have died. @shreyan @woodlandsquid @evacide
@ninavizz @shreyan @woodlandsquid @evacide I didn't know there was an official threat model. I will consider this and look into it more.
Marian (she/her)@areyouevenreal @ninavizz @evacide "write an image" — ok well you've lost half the audience already.
@talopine @ninavizz @evacide It's a very simple process using an application like UNetBootin or Rufus. You pretty much just give it a file, select your USB, and press go.
I don't get why an average person would have a problem doing that provided they are given instructions. I could teach someone to do it in five or ten minutes in person.
UNetBootin will even download the ISO for you for some distributions