this post was submitted on 19 Apr 2024
71 points (94.9% liked)

Privacy

32003 readers
661 users here now

A place to discuss privacy and freedom in the digital world.

Privacy has become a very important issue in modern society, with companies and governments constantly abusing their power, more and more people are waking up to the importance of digital privacy.

In this community everyone is welcome to post links and discuss topics related to privacy.

Some Rules

Related communities

Chat rooms

much thanks to @gary_host_laptop for the logo design :)

founded 5 years ago
MODERATORS
 

I live in Canada. My girlfriend is Chinese (also living in Canada), and while we are able to communicate via SMS, her mobile carrier isn't the best, and so there have often been issues for us with regular texting. She expressed a strong preference to use WeChat, at least as a backup option for when texting fails us. While I have some pretty significant reservations, it's not the hill I want to die on. So my question is: what can be done to use WeChat without compromising my whole phone? I'm okay with it if our conversations aren't private, but I'd like to know that I'm not giving unfettered access to all of my phone's systems and data to the CCP. What can be done to limit the reach of this ubiquitous app on my device?

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] ReversalHatchery@beehaw.org -2 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

Relationships (of all kinds) are about compromise.

Exactly. As I have understood, she is not willing to use an other messaging app. It seems as if only you are ready to have a compromise.

to the extent that us nerds do

This is not "not caring to that extent". This is not even just not caring at all. This is straight out ignoring and nullifying any and all concerns of one of the parties over privacy, by the other one.

So you can choose to be dogmatic in your approach

The only dogmatic thing here would be to say "only matrix", or "only signal", or whatever. As I understand you have attempted to offer multiple options.

people in the world who don't care

It's mostly irrelevant if they care about it. In a healthy relationship no one is The Boss whose decisions must be accepted. Instead if one party does not care about something, but the other very much does, they can accept that and live with it, if that's not a terrible choice. For example if your wife does not want to eat meat, would you force them to do so, because you don't want to deal with making meatless meals? I often eat meat, but I would be ready to give it up regularly doing so if need be. Or if they don't want to deal with the selfhosted media store, ok, fine, let her keep her Netflix subscription. This however, is not about pleasures, but about giving up or not human rights important to me.

In this situation however, it sounds like as if your girlfriend with be "The Boss"