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eszed 3 hours ago

> hand over a computer full of my personal data to a corporation

I'm equally paranoid, so I back up and wipe any device I hand in for repair.

> What if I can't afford to part with that computer?

No perfect answer for this, but I've always kept my last phone in a drawer in case my current phone breaks. It's saved me a couple of times. Maybe not everything works, but basic calls and texts always have, and I can use a browser for banking and other "complicated" stuff for a few days.

I'm OK if the perfect doesn't get in the way of the good - both personally, and in this sort of legislation.

Worf 2 hours ago | parent [-]

Without sufficient technical information on how the computer works and without root access, we can't be certain a "wipe" will actually wipe everything.

For malware that could be inserted in a targeted manner, even with desktop computers we don't have access the every firmware of every part.

When we're talking about mobile "phones", we usually have an interface that tells us "sure, it's wiped", but is it? Without full root to every part of it, can you be certain that it is? When you press "wipe" on an iPhone or a closed Android flagship (or whatever the UI is), what happens exactly on the filesystem that you can't even access fully?

Telling people to hand over their devices willy-nilly is far from "good". We shouldn't settle for this. The hardware companies can ship us the tools to replace the battery ourselves. Maybe not "ourselves" - my aunt can ask me to do it for her if she can't do it on her own. But she trusts me more than she does people she's never seen ever. If the tools are expensive, we can ship them back. There are many options so we should discuss them.