Discord defends itself against efforts to stop piracy on its platform by saying no to more invasive data collection. Even though Discord isn’t exactly known for privacy, this is a great move for its users. What are your thoughts?

  • Aatube
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    282 months ago

    How else would they store and sync the information?

      • Aatube
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        242 months ago

        They do have to retrieve old messages when new users join though. I’m sure the government can force them to lett them in a server and unlock the roles

        • @[email protected]
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          52 months ago

          Why?

          Why is channel history needed for new users?

          Back in the IRC days you joined a channel that was just empty, if you wanted the history you had to run an IRC client continously, I remember running screen irssi on a separate computer and sshing into the server, reconnecting the screen with irssi in it.

          If you want the history automatically, you can’t expect privacy.

          • @[email protected]
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            312 months ago

            90% of the reason I even have discord is because people much smarter than me use it to share information. Nobody uses other areas suited for sharing information anymore. It’s either Reddit or discord.

          • @JustARaccoon
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            212 months ago

            Because a lot of people go to discord servers to access existing information?

            • @[email protected]
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              72 months ago

              Far more than should tbh. Too many little game mods will have a Discord for questions and reporting issues rather than using their GitHub or a forum.

              • @JustARaccoon
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                82 months ago

                Oh I agree, it’s very much a “forcing a round peg into a square hole” situation, but I doubt discord will make any changes to push back against it

                • @[email protected]
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                  12 months ago

                  Oh I don’t think it’s a problem for Discord, but when it comes to software projects specifically I find the reliance on Discord frustrating because of its non-public orientation. If I’m having an issue I’d far rather search for a solution on a public wiki, bug report system, or forum than sign up for one more Discord server.

                  • @JustARaccoon
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                    12 months ago

                    Because now you’re using discord for more things? You’re giving them more data? What’s not to like

          • @GamingChairModel
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            62 months ago

            At the same time, expecting privacy in a room where a bunch of strangers hang out is already unreasonable. If everyone already in the channel can log the chats, for example by idling in the channel, then adding E2E on top of that is probably a false sense of security.

          • @[email protected]
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            52 months ago

            I remember running screen irssi on a separate computer and sshing into the server, reconnecting the screen with irssi in it.

            I still do that today.

          • @[email protected]
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            32 months ago

            If you want the history automatically, you can’t expect privacy.

            That’s not true, you can pull the history from other users who happen to be online.

            • Aatube
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              22 months ago

              The feds can also pull such history when they join the server

              • @[email protected]
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                12 months ago

                Sure, and the users of the channel could decide whether to share that history with new users or not. My point is that if you don’t have messages on the server, the service can’t help here, and it’s up to the users of the channel to set their own policies. If the data is stored on the server, the service could be legally obligated to provide that data.

          • @[email protected]
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            22 months ago

            I have an issue with something I’m using and there is a discord server I will join it. I then search my issue and its usually been adressed in the past. Without history I would be forced to ask the question that has probably been answered many times in the past.

        • @[email protected]
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          32 months ago

          Keep the data but encrypted. Let users send links that contain the pki info to decrypt the messages. Have that pki info generated client side.

          Discord would only need to shuffle data, provide authentication, and provide the web app data down to the client. But every bit of user shared and generated content would be encrypted to them.

          • Aatube
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            42 months ago

            Like I said, Discord can still be compelled to let feds join the server, thus receiving the PKIs.

            • @[email protected]
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              22 months ago

              If the the pki is generated by users client side by a secret discord doesn’t control it wouldn’t be an issue.

              • Aatube
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                12 months ago

                Either you share the message history to new users (which includes feds) or you don’t have any history. I don’t understand what you mean

                • @[email protected]
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                  22 months ago

                  The server provides the data to authenticated users and helps facilitate pki between the clients.

                  If someone is added by the server to have access to the data but wasn’t given a key capable of decryption by an actual user they wouldn’t have actual access, just encrypted data.

    • @[email protected]
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      82 months ago

      Sync from another online user. If each message is signed by the author, there’s a built-in protection against tampering.

      It’s really not hard, they just have to care enough to build it that way.

      • Aatube
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        12 months ago

        Can’t feds also sync them from other users?

        • @[email protected]
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          52 months ago

          Sure, if they’re granted access to the channel. But that access would come from users of the channel, not the service itself, and if the service doesn’t store the keys (i.e. you need at least one user online to get access), the service can’t really help the feds.

          And whether to provide access to history for new users can absolutely be a setting on the channel. I’m just saying that having the messages only on the clients doesn’t preclude sharing those messages with a newcomer.