Practical Defenses Against Technofascism
15 hours ago
- Under Trump, the US has shifted to technofascism, using modern technologies for domestic repression, targeting immigrants, journalists, and activists.
- Mercenary spyware like Pegasus and Graphite is now embraced by US agencies, with companies like Paragon and NSO Group being acquired to bypass restrictions.
- Defenses against spyware include always installing updates, enabling Lockdown Mode on iOS/macOS, using Advanced Data Protection, and considering hardware with Memory Integrity Enforcement.
- Device searches by ICE and police use tools like Cellebrite to extract data; defenses involve strong disk encryption, avoiding biometrics, powering off devices at borders or protests, and using secondary phones with minimal data.
- Apple and Google collaborate with Trump administration to censor apps that report ICE sightings, removing ICEBlock, Red Dot, and Eyes Up; web-based apps are more resilient to such censorship.
- Community-based security culture is essential—building real-world connections, using Signal for encrypted communication, and treating online data as ephemeral to reduce risk.
- The open web remains a key defense; using non-US hosting and domain registrars can circumvent potential US internet censorship.