Communication Security Articles

“All the mobile phones, computers, and electronic devices connected to the Internet that you carry with you are wiretaps.” (Teachings at Various Places XV, “2019 New York Fa Conference”) You might think it’s just “random ads popping up on your phone.” In fact, there are many real incidents behind this — tech giants and ordinary users alike have faced controversies… Read more: Part 1: Real Cases of Surveillance (True Stories)

How Does Your Phone “Know” What You’re Thinking? Have you ever had this experience? You just told a friend, “I haven’t been sleeping well lately — I should get a new pillow,” or “I want to visit Japan next time,” and a few minutes later your phone shows ads for pillow recommendations, Tokyo flights, and hotel discounts. This is not… Read more: Part 2: Is Your Phone Secretly Listening to You? (Hardware Security)

First of all, using any of these apps on a smartphone is insecure, because the phone hardware is already directly eavesdropping on all content (see Part 2: Is Your Phone Secretly Listening to You? (Hardware Security)). So we can only evaluate which app is relatively safer at the software level. What Is Chat Encryption? When we use Signal, LINE, WhatsApp,… Read more: Part 3: Signal, LINE, WhatsApp – Which Is Most Secure? (App Security)

What Is Open Source, and Does It Affect Me? The smartphone world is dominated by two ecosystems: the open Android and the closed iOS (Apple). Android relies heavily on open source — what people commonly call an “open-source system.” An “open-source system” means the code is public and developed and improved collaboratively by engineers worldwide. For example, the core of… Read more: Part 4: Android vs. iPhone – Which Is More Secure? (System Security)

What Is a “Backdoor”? A “backdoor” refers to a software backdoor — a secret entry point that bypasses normal security mechanisms and allows a third party to directly access a system or communication channel. During software development, backdoors can be useful for modifying and testing code defects. But if a backdoor becomes known to others (through leaks or discovery), or… Read more: Part 5: Why Do Governments Keep “Backdoors”? (Network Security)

Using Screens as Babysitters Severs Normal Human Social Interaction The most profound changes that smartphones bring to families often begin when children are very young. Modern parents are busy, and phones are convenient — “screen babysitting” has gradually become a regrettable yet widespread daily reality. However, research shows this habit is severing the most important foundations of childhood development. Studies… Read more: Part 6: The Harms of Smartphones to Humanity