Freedom Flotilla member & supporter group chat shut down by Whatsapp
SMH @ activists using techno-fascist platforms for communications during an operation subject to state-actor level interference. I thought we recognised and acknowledged this problem 15-20 years ago already.
https://xcancel.com/CraigMurrayOrg/status/1965431513320927706
Amazing that they weren't using Signal for comms outside their group, but for internal comms it's even more amazing they weren't using something like Meshtastic.
Thank you for telling me about meshtastic!
For anyone like me who never heard of it before:
At least they werent organising on discord, maybe its intentional to send a message to people about meta
relying on whatsapp for dissenting
more leftists could really use understanding computers. how the fuck can you go in such a mission full of the empire's tracking devices. using whatsapp shows there wasn't even thought put into it.
They literally broadcast their location publicly on their website.
This public tracking is the only reason they didn't all get murdered on the last boat
tracking doesn't only mean location.
and the power they get is not only tracking. its shutting down their communications too.
Maybe the aim of the flotilla was to just make people aware that there are activists who are worried about gaza. Just to create media buzz.
yes, but i don't think handing all their communications (and possibly much more) to the entity they want to pressure is helping though.
Meta is complicit in the genocide
All the more reason to use Signal.
So the Trump ass-kissers have given the King of Fools another gift for his pleasure. The cost to freedom is immense
Maybe consider Signal instead?
or like any opsec at all.
another reason why not to use whatsapp? for all that is good, don't use meta or any corporate technofascist company. there are better options.
Damn, didn’t know Nitter still existed.
It was resurrected in February.
WhatsApp Supports starving children to death
Meta*
I use WhatsApp cautiously with friends who still refuse to jump over to Signal (let alone Matrix or Session). But it's def mind blowing to read an activist group was relying on it for organizing. Reminds me of FB being used for organizing G20 and BLM demos -_-
Considering their entire marketing campaign is "nobody, not even WhatsApp can see your messages," I can see how folks would fall for that.
But they can see the metadata!
I think a lot of non-techie people only know signal from the Trump admin using it illegally earlier in the year. In a lot of people's minds because of that they think Signal = insecure because they don't get the nuances of why using it in that specific context -- on personal phones, using a third party app, with a random journalist in the mix -- was bad, but that for most people it's still one of the best options. WhatsApp on the other hand has a lot of marketing around it and if you didn't know that Meta is Facebook I think some people wouldn't even realise who the owners are.
A sad reality of political activism is the inability of many groups to follow proper opsec.
I mean, based on the source, they're still even on Twitter which is a lot more overtly fascist than WhatsApp. So…yeah…
There are some unofficial pages on the fediverse: https://mastodon.bida.im/@globalsumudflotilla
But yeah no links or mentions to mastodon and federated platforms on their website
That's fucked
This is why you don't use whatsapp
This is yet another reason why you don't use whatsapp
ftfy
The number of people who are like "are you on Whatsapp? " fir secure conversations....
Yeah, that's curious. I'd think they'd be prepared with Signal at the very least and some backup self-hosted channel, as well as cameras and backup cell hotspots.
they were prepared for the drone hit the other day; so hopefully for this as well.
So happy not to be using Whatsapp...
Did they select Whatsapp as a main communication channel and direct their supporters to it?
Or did they just start a group chat to reach out to supporters who were already on the app?
100% CIA and mossad were watching those channels realtime.
I am pretty sure those groups were public
Very odd from Whatsapp.
Lol wut? Meta has been working with the IOF and NSO and US for years
Totally consistent Meta is joined at the hip with US government and therefore more or less in league with Zionists, neocons and Israel just like every american big tech, bank and media company.
Was this their main channel of communication or just a group they had for supporters?
Doesn't really matter, it's the metadata that reveals your connections and locations. Surprisingly big amount of useful (but not necessarily correct or verifiable) intel can be gathered without eavesdropping into the actual conversations. People have been - on other occasions - targeted because they were connected to a person, who's connections may have been suspicious to some state actors.
Sounds like this group is more of a social media vibe group, rather then a group interested in real undermining of Zionism. Maybe stop being pawns for slacktivists with rich parents and try joining the PLO instead?
With all respect to a privacy advocates(I'm one), but blaming them on using WhatsApp is besides the point, these people are not trying to hide their activities, or locations, and many of them are not tech-saavy, the shame is on the cess pool that is Meta, and all the other goons...this is so fucked up on so many levels.