Anyone worried about their privacy should spurn Dropbox, Facebook, and Google as they suffered from Ebola, according to whistleblower Edward Snowden.
Talking to the New Yorker Festival, by remote conferencing, Snowden said people should seek out encrypted tools and stop using services that are “hostile to privacy”.
He named Dropbox,” because it does not support encryption, and you should consider alternatives like SpiderOak. He seemed to be behind the times on this one as Dropbox has supported encryption since June. In fact, the only difference between the two is that SpiderOak encrypts the data while it’s on your computer, as opposed to only encrypting it “in transit” and on the company’s servers.
While Facebook and Google have improved their security, they remain “dangerous services” that people should avoid. His final piece of advice on this front: Do not send unencrypted text messages, but instead use services like RedPhone and Silent Circle.
Snowden dismissed claims that increased encryption on iOS will hurt crime-fighting efforts. Even with that encryption, he said law enforcement officials can still ask for warrants that will give them complete access to a suspect’s phone, which will include the key to the encrypted data.
