this post was submitted on 06 Oct 2024
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Neo-Nazis head to encrypted SimpleX Chat app, bail on Telegram (cdn.arstechnica.net)
submitted 2 months ago by W4nd3r3r@lemmy.ml to c/technology@lemmy.ml
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Dozens of neo-Nazis are fleeing Telegram and moving to a relatively unknown secret chat app that has received funding from Twitter founder Jack Dorsey.

In a report from the Institute for Strategic Dialogue published on Friday morning, researchers found that in the wake of the arrest of Telegram founder Pavel Durov and charges against leaders of the so-called Terrorgram Collective, dozens of extremist groups have moved to the app SimpleX Chat in recent weeks over fears that Telegram’s privacy policies expose them to being arrested. The Terrorgram Collective is a neo-Nazi propaganda network that calls for acolytes to target government officials, attack power stations, and murder people of color.

Source: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2024/10/neo-nazis-head-to-encrypted-simplex-chat-app-bail-on-telegram/

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[–] sunzu2@thebrainbin.org 60 points 2 months ago (1 children)

How many times will this get reposted around here?

Feels like a smear against encrypted communications...

[–] cryptiod137@lemmy.world 13 points 2 months ago (2 children)

Pfffff no one would ever do that, what are you some kind of conspiracy weirdo??

Stop being so paranoid, no one's out to get you.

If you haven't done anything wrong, what have you got to hide?

[–] Swedneck@discuss.tchncs.de 7 points 2 months ago

what have i got to hide?
my relationship with your dad

[–] bi_tux@lemmy.world 6 points 2 months ago

I know this comment is satire, but still

[–] foremanguy92_@lemmy.ml 44 points 2 months ago (3 children)

Please do not ruin the reputation of SimpleX, by saying it's a terrorist messenger. Actually it's one of the best but need a bit of development

[–] ReversalHatchery@beehaw.org 10 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I fear just the same will happen to all the other encrypted messengers too, to discourage everyone from using it. it's a bit like if this was connected to the same gang that so much wants to outlaw secure encryption

[–] foremanguy92_@lemmy.ml 9 points 2 months ago

Right, fuck chat control

[–] WolfLink@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Honestly this is kinda good press IMO. When the people who actively do have something to hide are using a given privacy tool, that tool probably works.

[–] foremanguy92_@lemmy.ml 5 points 2 months ago

Not really the point, these people were using Telegram after all... 🙃

[–] avidamoeba@lemmy.ca 0 points 2 months ago (1 children)

How's that ruining its reputation?

[–] foremanguy92_@lemmy.ml 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

As people would thought that it's a Nazi and terrorist messenger

[–] avidamoeba@lemmy.ca 0 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Did they think that about Telegram? I thought it was quite popular despite that.

[–] foremanguy92_@lemmy.ml 1 points 2 months ago

Right but even when you have the reputation of terrorist messenger it's not the best thing

[–] jeena@piefed.jeena.net 24 points 2 months ago (4 children)

What I always wonder is why they don't go for something self hosted where they have the control over it.

[–] Walk_blesseD@lemmy.blahaj.zone 35 points 2 months ago

It's because they're not that competent.

[–] Fiivemacs@lemmy.ca 33 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Because they aren't doers, they are followers. They don't think for themselves and need to be told what to do.

[–] viking@infosec.pub 15 points 2 months ago (3 children)

I doubt that's the real reason. There are enough smart people on top who could set up and run a self-hosted solution.

It's easy to attribute nazis with a lack of intelligence due to their stupid and narrow minded beliefs, but we should never underestimate them.

I'd wager that the average fascist is just as much a "follower" as the average antifa sympathizer.

On top of that: Setting up and hosting a platform exposes the system to a single point of failure, whereas using existing third party infrastructure means that they have a "legit" operation as well, so the risk of a total shutdown is probably lower. Plus, there is a higher chance external security researchers/auditors will investigate the platform and point out vulnerabilities.

[–] Urist@lemmy.ml 4 points 2 months ago

There is absolutely a corrolation between being stupid and being a neo-nazi. However, in this regard smart people are even more dangerous since they are not only capable of fooling themselves but others as well.

[–] leisesprecher@feddit.org 4 points 2 months ago

None of your arguments are really an answer to anything.

Every app, telegram, simplex, ICQ are single points of failure - by design - whereas services like xmpp/jabber or even the self hosted variants of signal, simplex or matrix don't have these problems. But they don't do that. At least nothing that I heard of.

I think the reality is much more that most of the Nazis are inherently not constructive. They don't create anything, they have no real vision, just hate for whatever group they think is worst right now.

They are literal leeches, they take over what they can get. Telegram, Twitter, now SimpleX. Volk ohne Messenger, if you want. There is exactly one platform that was created by them, truth social, and that's a grift by Trump and his team, not something growing from within the community.

[–] PerogiBoi@lemmy.ca 3 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

Nazis and their like don’t use reason or logic. Many aren’t able to plan ahead. Their entire ideology requires shutting down big portions of one’s brain to become a frothing reactionary, impermeable to any information which could change their hateful views.

They don’t create things, they mostly aren’t very tech savvy, and all look for a leader to tell them what to do (go look at their forums, they’re all busy accusing each other of being glowies, just itching for Trump or someone else to give them “the signal” for them to act).

[–] viking@infosec.pub 2 points 2 months ago (2 children)

Sounds more like you never dealt with them. I'm German, we still got plenty of ideologically challenged individuals in country, and they are not stupid.

No idea what a glowie is, but those trump worshiping clowns you got in the US aren't the people I'm worried about. Over here there is no discernible education gap between left and right wing.

[–] sunzu2@thebrainbin.org 2 points 2 months ago (2 children)

Glowie is online slang for stassi types... Jan6 strung together abunch of mouth breezers for the Insurrection. There clowns were organized and support by the federal agents.

Similar thing happened with "BLM" protests although those might have been taken over after they blew up.

Current working theory of these events is that glowies play a key role in such events.

There is also the legend of some military base having too much reddit traffic too.

Either way, got to make your fed work for you, paying him good money anyway.

[–] JWBananas@lemmy.world 2 points 2 months ago

There is also the legend of some military base having too much reddit traffic too.

It was no legend. A (since-deleted) reddit blog post called out Eglin AFB by name.

https://web.archive.org/web/20160410083943/http://www.redditblog.com/2013/05/get-ready-for-global-reddit-meetup-day.html?m=1

The other two cities listed under most "addicted" have large data centers.

The conspiracy theory though... Meh.

https://www.reddit.com/r/AirlinerAbduction2014/comments/188hpud/eglin_air_force_base_shills_do_not_exist_and/

[–] PerogiBoi@lemmy.ca 2 points 2 months ago

I’m Jewish and have had my living room windows shot at because my parents had a chanukkah menorah in the window and I had to hide my identity from everyone out of risk that they will be violent or treat me badly if they found out the religion I was born into.

I’m very well versed with Nazis, white supremacists, and what other forms they come in North America. This isn’t a dick measuring contest.

[–] Ephera@lemmy.ml 17 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I imagine, part of the reason is that you can really get fucked by law enforcement in many countries, if you operate a server and don't curb illegal content that you're aware of.

That wouldn't sit well with me either, if my friends' concept of free speech is just continuously saying illegal things for no good reason.

[–] sunzu2@thebrainbin.org 1 points 2 months ago

People are spreading child abuse content on social media and platforms don't get in trouble....

There is a pattern here.

[–] amanneedsamaid@sopuli.xyz 2 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

I'm aware those referenced in the article are almost certainly not doing this, but for clarity's sake SimpleX can be self hosted.

[–] Vendetta9076@sh.itjust.works 14 points 2 months ago

The Terrorgram Collective

What a bunch of reasonable sounding individuals.

[–] I_Has_A_Hat@lemmy.world 14 points 2 months ago (2 children)

Signal once again dodges a bullet from attracting neo-nazi's and getting a bad reputation.

[–] avidamoeba@lemmy.ca 5 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

That pesky phone number requirement saves the day again.

[–] rolling_resistance@lemmy.world 1 points 2 months ago

We just don't know if it attracts them.

[–] wewbull@feddit.uk 9 points 2 months ago

"Dozens". Really?!?!

[–] avidamoeba@lemmy.ca 8 points 2 months ago

Every time I hear SimpleX I think of herpes. Perhaps shows that whoever came up with that name had never had or looked up cold sores.😂

[–] rcbrk@lemmy.ml 4 points 2 months ago (1 children)

^PSST, rumour is that paedophiles use HTTPS...^

[–] amanneedsamaid@sopuli.xyz 1 points 2 months ago

The really high tech nonces have starting using TLS

[–] SplashJackson@lemmy.ca 3 points 2 months ago

But but but TeRrOrGrAm