malware-mobiles.html

[Diff Report]

Modified:

    malware-mobiles.html

diff -rNU2 malware-mobiles.html malware-mobiles.html
--- malware-mobiles.html        2022-08-29 04:01:33.151387295 +0000
+++ malware-mobiles.html        2022-08-30 04:16:11.812408175 +0000
@@ -60,11 +60,24 @@
 is why we call them &ldquo;Stalin's dream&rdquo;.</p>
 
-<p>The malware we list here is present in every phone, or in software
-that is not made by Apple or Google (including its subsidiaries).
-Malicious functionalities in mobile software released by Apple or
-Google are listed in dedicated pages, <a
-href="/proprietary/malware-apple.html">Apple's Operating Systems are
-Malware</a> and <a href="/proprietary/malware-google.html">Google's
-Software Is Malware</a> respectively.</p>
+<p>Tracking users' location is a consequence of how the cellular
+network operates: it needs to know which cell towers the phone is
+near, so it can communicate with the phone via a nearby tower.  That
+gives the network location data which it saves for months or years.
+See <a href="#phone-communications">below</a>.</p>
+
+<p>Listening to conversations works by means of a
+universal <a href="#back doors">back door</a> in the software of the
+processor that communicates with the phone network.  See
+<a href="#back-doors">below</a>.</p>
+
+<p>In addition, the nonfree operating systems for &ldquo;smart&rdquo;
+phones have specific malicious functionalities, described
+in <a href="/proprietary/malware-apple.html">Apple's Operating Systems
+are Malware</a>
+and <a href="/proprietary/malware-google.html">Google's Software Is
+Malware</a> respectively.</p>
+
+<p>Many phone apps are malicious, too.  See
+<a href="#TOC">below</a>.</p>
 
 <div class="important">
@@ -77,9 +90,23 @@
 
 <div class="emph-box">
-<h3 id="phone-communications">Cell-phone communications</h3>
+<h3 id="phone-communications">Network location tracking</h3>
 
-<p>This section describes one other malicious characteristic of mobile
-phones, location tracking which is caused by the underlying radio system
-rather than by the specific software in them.</p>
+<p>This section describes a malicious characteristic of mobile phone
+networks: location tracking.  The phone
+network <a 
href="https://ssd.eff.org/en/playlist/privacy-breakdown-mobile-phones";>
+tracks the movements of each phone</a>.</p>
+
+<p>Strictly speaking, this tracking is not implemented by any specific
+software code; it is inherent in the cellular network technology.  The
+network needs to know which cell towers the phone is near, so it can
+communicate with the phone via a nearby tower.  There is no technical
+way to block or avoid the tracking and still have cellular
+communication.</p>
+
+<p>Networks do not limit themselves to using that data momentarily.
+Many countries (including the US and the EU) require the network to
+store all location data for months or years, and while stored it is
+available for whatever use the network permits, or the State requires.
+This can put the user in great danger.</p>
 
 <ul class="blurbs">
@@ -95,18 +122,4 @@
     country do?  Those are the questions this raises.</p>
   </li>
-
-  <li id="M201502100">
-    <!--#set var="DATE" value='<small class="date-tag">2015-02</small>'
-    --><!--#echo encoding="none" var="DATE" -->
-    <p>The phone network <a
-    href="https://ssd.eff.org/en/playlist/privacy-breakdown-mobile-phones";>
-    tracks the movements of each phone</a>.</p>
-
-    <p>This is inherent in the design of the phone network: as long as
-    the phone is in communication with the network, there is no way
-    to stop the network from recording its location.  Many countries
-    (including the US and the EU) require the network to store all
-    these location data for months or years.</p>
-  </li>
 </ul>
 </div>
@@ -1618,5 +1631,5 @@
 <p class="unprintable">Updated:
 <!-- timestamp start -->
-$Date: 2022/08/28 07:19:52 $
+$Date: 2022/08/29 12:25:14 $
 <!-- timestamp end -->
 </p>