New - The things that really annoy you

[Lupo]

"Fuming"

Are you fuming Kenny?

Three customers fuming as they don't get Government's emergency alert

A number of customers on the Three mobile network reported not receiving the government's emergency alert test broadcast today. The company 'working closely with the government' to find out what happened

www.mirror.co.uk

Was the 3rd one booked for complaining?

 

[Alan]

Couldn't give much of a fuck really....slightly annoyed I had to check if my settings were wrong on my phone though.

It's really interesting to me that this is a new thing over there.

It can definitely be a smidge unsettling to be out and about and suddenly everyone's phones start blaring an alarm to let us know about an Amber Alert (kidnapping) or something like that. But I think it's probably a net good if it actually saves a child from harm.

 

[Johnny75]

If you're really that concerned about a mass SMS because of privacy concerns, I'd have serious questions about why you're connected to the internet, like, ever.

Ah this old chestnut.

I know you're not in this country and the US is choc full of dickheads with guns but you don't even allow CCTV because of privacy laws in some places.

I don't really expect you to understand why our government shouldn't be trusted with anything. So that's why I'm going to ignore you on this Alan.

 

[Alan]

Ah this old chestnut.

I know you're not in this country and the US is choc full of dickheads with guns but you don't even allow CCTV because of privacy laws in some places.

I don't really expect you to understand why our government shouldn't be trusted with anything. So that's why I'm going to ignore you on this Alan.

This is my point, though. Why are you trusting your data to anything? You clearly don't believe the government has your best interests in mind, that's fair enough; neither does mine. But corporate entities explicitly don't have your best interests in mind and they're tracking almost everything we do on the web.

So why the concern about a "dumb" SMS blast that probably has no knowledge whatsoever of who receives it?

"Dumb" here referring to the fact that the sending API need not know anything about its consumers.

 

[Johnny75]

This is my point, though. Why are you trusting your data to anything? You clearly don't believe the government has your best interests in mind, that's fair enough; neither does mine. But corporate entities explicitly don't have your best interests in mind and they're tracking almost everything we do on the web.

So why the concern about a "dumb" SMS blast that probably has no knowledge whatsoever of who receives it?

"Dumb" here referring to the fact that the sending API need not know anything about its consumers.

Because our government will find a way of lining their own pockets with our tax money.

Do you think that shouldn't be questioned and we should just all accept it?

 

[AndyWolves]

In the interests of awareness and protecting ones data. A useful site to see if any of your accounts have been compromised.

Have I Been Pwned: Check if your email has been compromised in a data breach

Have I Been Pwned allows you to search across multiple data breaches to see if your email address or phone number has been compromised.

haveibeenpwned.com

 

[Tredman]

If you're really that concerned about a mass SMS because of privacy concerns, I'd have serious questions about why you're connected to the internet, like, ever.

Anything you've ever entered as part of an online purchase or account has already been scraped, aggregated, and sold more times than we could probably count. SMS is the least of our technological privacy worries, IMO.

It wasn’t SMS. Some form of OTA data message push.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

Was the 3rd one booked for complaining?

Excellent sir

 

[Alan]

Because our government will find a way of lining their own pockets with our tax money.

Do you think that shouldn't be questioned and we should just all accept it?

Very unlike other governments...

Be concerned if you like but when it comes to data privacy I think you've got much more pressing things to worry about.

 

[Johnny75]

Very unlike other governments...

Is this a paid service?

So you're saying we shouldn't have concerns and should just accept it?

 

[Alan]

So you're saying we shouldn't have concerns and should just accept it?

I just think it's a weird fight to pick. And "government is bad" doesn't sway me much because you can level that argument at literally any government initiative in basically any country.

 

[AndyWolves]

It wasn’t SMS. Some form of OTA data message push.

From what I've been googling it seems the only requirement is to have a device connected to 4/5g. It's a one way push rather than having something unique identifier to send to.

 

[Johnny75]

I just think it's a weird fight to pick. And "government is bad" doesn't sway me much because you can level that argument at literally any government initiative in basically any country.

You haven't seen the level our government is currently at or what they've done in the last few years, which is understandable.

As you don't have that understanding I will leave this there with you.

 

[Alan]

You're not the only one who lives in a surveillance state, dude.

 

[Tredman]

You're not the only one who lives in a surveillance state, dude.

There’s way more general cctv etc here. Not saying it necessarily a bad thing, it’s certainly a safer place to live.

 

[Johnny75]

You're not the only one who lives in a surveillance state, dude.

That's not my concern.

 

[Alan]

That's not my concern.

I'm not sure you've said what your concern is.

 

[Alan]

There’s way more general cctv etc here. Not saying it necessarily a bad thing, it’s certainly a safer place to live.

There's a ton of it here, something like 15 cameras per 100 citizens.

Difference, I expect, is ownership. Vast majority here are operated and maintained by private interests. Imagine they're more firmly in the government's hands over there.

 

[Johnny75]

I'm not sure you've said what your concern is.

I have. Our government will find a way to line their own pockets through this.

We won't know who or how for a few months but it'll come out eventually.

 

[Alan]

I have. Our government will find a way to line their own pockets through this.

We won't know who or how for a few months but it'll come out eventually.

They're going to make illegitimate money by sending an OTA message to UK citizens?

How?