Signal, DuckDuckGo, and NordVPN threaten to exit Canada if metadata surveillance law passes

https://www.techspot.com/news/112672-signal-duckduckgo-nordvpn-threaten-exit-canada-if-metadata.html

250 points · 22 comments · view on lemmy.world

22 Comments

voxel@feddit.uk · 48 pts · 110d (1 reply)

Lets be real, NordVPN has done so many shady things themselve (fake limited time discount on their website which is illegal in many regions of the world), no one who knows about these and cares about data protection and privacy would use it anyway.

But nice that they add some pressure ig.

Croquette@sh.itjust.works · 11 pts · 110d

It's an easy way for them to gain some reputation to monetize it later.

FarraigePlaisteach@piefed.social · 27 pts · 110d (6 replies)

Place your bets everyone, which way do you think this will go?

  1. Canada doesn't pass the surveillance law

  2. The law passes and some/all of Signal/DDG/NordVPN remain anyway

  3. The law passes and they exit Canada

  4. (something else)

Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world · 14 pts · 110d (2 replies)

#2 DDG might not leave, Signal might do something maliciously compliant, and NordVPN will just leave.

teyrnon@sh.itjust.works · 3 pts · 110d (1 reply)

How could signal comply? It would ruin their brand.

Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 109d

Maliciously comply.

Maybe have the app available in Canada, but it only lets users email the government.

RodgeGrabTheCat@sh.itjust.works · 8 pts · 110d

I'm thinking the law passes but the courts kill it due to it violating our Charter. I also feel that the tech companies will not wait for the court case to conclude before leaving Canada.

87Six@lemmy.zip · 7 pts · 110d

Or

  • the law passes with exceptions to specifically these 3 that threatened to leave
naeap@sopuli.xyz · 1 pts · 109d

2 or 3

I guess signal has more to lose in reputation, than Canada brings them as country

For the other ones, I don't know

schnurrito@discuss.tchncs.de · 18 pts · 110d (6 replies)

Why does humanity have to keep fighting the same fights against different governments over and over again?

Cannot governments, for once, be even slightly on the side of a free society?

okamiueru@lemmy.world · 7 pts · 110d

Because we have capitalism.

FundMECFS@piefed.zip · 6 pts · 109d (4 replies)

States are built on control. They literally only exist because they are the dominant power structure in a specific area.

States pushing for more freedom is antithetical.

schnurrito@discuss.tchncs.de · 3 pts · 109d (2 replies)

I agree with that (unlike the other answer I got to this; yeah, Soviet-aligned states were definitely very free societies amirite /s), but then again, sometimes there are more or less successful movements toward more freedom. The history of the 20th century alone is that of the century ending with much more freedom in the world than there was during most of it. How have we completely forgotten those values?

FundMECFS@piefed.zip · 1 pts · 109d (1 reply)

Yes. Just to be clear I’m not a pessimist, I don’t believe we can’t achieve more freedom. I’m just an anarchist. I believe to truly end domination and have self-determination, the move towards freedom must ultimately aim to end the state.

schnurrito@discuss.tchncs.de · 1 pts · 109d

I think there are things we need some sort of state for... but certainly think its power should be limited so that it can't do things like what this thread is about!

mnemonicmonkeys@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 109d

The problem is that tracking people is big money, so tech companies like Google, Meta, Palantir, Flock, etc stand to make a lot of money. So they're heavily bribing lobbying governments to make it easier to track people

Phantaloons@piefed.zip · 5 pts · 110d (2 replies)

XMPP, TOR, and a few 20 4get instances will still be there. All good.

rozodru@piefed.world · 2 pts · 110d (1 reply)

4get.ca

I can now quickly identify various birds, minecraft areas, and those weird anime plushy things no problem.

Phantaloons@piefed.zip · 1 pts · 109d

See? It even comes with a brain teaser to keep you sharp. SearXNG eat your heart out.

roomy@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 110d (2 replies)

What do they have over Canada? why should they care?

RodgeGrabTheCat@sh.itjust.works · 14 pts · 110d (1 reply)

If Signal were to make a backdoor for the government, that would compromise the security of all users world-wide.

teyrnon@sh.itjust.works · -1 pts · 110d

Indeed. Although I suspect there already is a back door for the US government, just not one anyone knows about.