It’s not clear how the spyware gets onto the phone, though. Typically the user needs to download something that happens to have spyware in it. Unless the USA government includes this spyware in heretofore legitimate government apps so that a significant number of people install the spyware unintentionally, I don’t see how this spyware is of practical value. Including it in government apps might be their plan, though, even though there is a high chance that the malicious app(s) would be banned. But the USA government could threaten Apple or Google into letting the app remain available for download. Dark times.

Removed by mod

Definitely! Always vote, even if you have low confidence in the election’s integrity or your influence on the overall outcome. You have nothing to lose by voting anyway.

I second this, and add that if you have an area of expertise, you will have more impact if you utilize that expertise. Some examples:

• If you have access to a commercial kitchen during off hours, you could cook food for the poor.
• If you are good at socializing, try meeting with local political groups, influencing election candidates, or running for office.
• If you are a software engineer, volunteer on an open-source project related to a cause that you care about.

And if you don’t want to spend effort, you can always donate to a cause.

Source?

We all know “proof of age” or “age verification” is synonymous with mass surveilance

Is it? I was under the impression that websites would use private identity verification companies like iDenfy to perform age verification. The identity verification company would need to use a government API to verify the person’s existence and age, but this doesn’t necessarily mean that the identity verification company is reporting to the government which people have initiated age verification, or for which websites.

Only a Sith deals in absolutes.

This is a great start, but this one is showing its age, and could use an update.

I’m glad that you’re happy with it, but you couldn’t pay me to use a Xiaomi product.

At the risk of sounding like an out of touch janny, what’s a janny?

It never occurred to me that a government would pay a funeral home, but now that I think about it, it makes perfect sense for a government to collectively pay for the disposal of human remains, since everyone needs it, and it can’t be abused.

What does SLT mean?

I’d argue the opposite: satire and humor are the best way to get people on your side and motivated.

Republicans would be upset about Wikipedia being censored if they knew how to read.

It’s possible to hate a country and also be forced to capitulate to it (or die trying to resist, if you don’t have a family that you care about).

That is some serious dependency inversion.

“Nevertheless, she persisted.”

- Mitch McConnell, about Elizabeth Warren