Kazakhstan’s aggressive mass surveillance technique explained

[wraith808]

via https://protonmail.com/blog/kazakhstan-internet-surveillance/

On July 17, the government of Kazakhstan began coercing its citizens to install a root certificate on their devices that would allow the authorities to monitor everything they do online. The surveillance affects anyone trying to access certain websites, including Gmail, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Once the certificate is installed, the government could access emails, read private messages, log browsing activity, and store login credentials.

They've since said this was just a 'test', but few are buying it.

[Deozaan]

I read this article a few days ago. As I recall, the article never really explained where the "coercion" took place. It sounded more like "misleading" than "coercing" to me. Even so, it's spooky.

There are people I talk to about the importance of internet privacy and they don't seem to care. They can't seem to understand why it's so important. All I can do is kind of shake my head and think of how lucky they are to live somewhere that their government isn't actively, blatantly, flagrantly, oppressing their freedoms (yet).

[wraith808]

I read this article a few days ago. As I recall, the article never really explained where the "coercion" took place. It sounded more like "misleading" than "coercing" to me. Even so, it's spooky.

I think in many cases, the coercion comes in the context.

https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/2019/kazakhstan

https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-net/2018/kazakhstan

Given the attacks against freedom and the fact that "Those who try to access the Internet without the government-issued root certificate are being redirected to landing pages with instructions on how to install it." creates an environment in an already tense situation where one might wonder what would happen if they didn't comply

There are people I talk to about the importance of internet privacy and they don't seem to care. They can't seem to understand why it's so important. All I can do is kind of shake my head and think of how lucky they are to live somewhere that their government isn't actively, blatantly, flagrantly, oppressing their freedoms (yet).

I think that's the vast majority of people, unfortunately.  They just want it to work, and get them what they want.  The other things are just ephemeral concepts to them.  And I think a lot of that is what the government depends on (or at least those with any inkling- I think a lot of politicians fall into the same group).