Thread by @caparsons

Encrypted Phone Firm Ciphr, Used by Criminals, Moves to Cut-off Australia vice.com/en/article/k78…

It's really interesting that Ciphr is expanding to include a 'Lite' version that may significantly expand their user base. Why might an organization that ostensibly markets its services criminals do this?

1) The more people using the service who are not potential criminals may increase costs to LEAs who want to insert a backdoor into the application somehow. If they can scale then there may be a public interest argument to *not* backdoor this Ciphr, unlike An0n.

2) The more non-criminal users who use the service, the higher the likelihood that criminals can use the application without it standing out as a 100% problematic/criminal application. In other words, to reduce suspicion based on using Ciphr itself.

3) Linked to (2), if Ciphr happens to be noisy or have particular indicators when its on the network, then adding a legitimate user base may confound some surveillance/targeting based on those indicators. This will help criminal actors hide amongst more legitimate users.

I'll be very curious to see how, over time, reporting on this shift takes place and whether adopting a semi-legitimate arm of business is sufficient to stave off the technical capacities warrants that are now possessed by several FVEY countries. I....have some doubts they will.

Phantom Secure tread the line between legitimate service that then significantly supported alleged criminals/their activities. An0m was developed (in part by LEAs) to exclusively support criminals and their activities. Ciphr appears to be moving from criminal >> legitimate.

In doing so, and if targeted with a warrant that'd compel modifications to Ciphr, then a *very* curious and potentially troubling area of case law will quickly get spun up and presumably tested.

It's fascinating to watch, on the one hand, while also deeply concerning for how these kinds of maneuvers could affect legislative reform or be used to expand what is considered 'appropriate' use of technical warrants going forward. Definitely an area to watch closely.