Trump malware to infect every US phone on Wednesday

[frauenfelder]

Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2018/10/02/trump-malware-to-infect-every.html

…

[Akimbo_NOT]

[ficuswhisperer]

I wonder if it will be audible even when my phone is muted (just like emergency alerts). I guess we will find out tomorrow.

[anon75430791]

It is hard to imagine that this will not be used on Nov. 6.

The more desperate, the more partisan the message, I would wager.

[Ceran_Swicegood]

You know Trump has nothing to do with this, it’s been in the works for years.

[Akimbo_NOT]

Wait, so, what if…

Kay Bailey Hutchison.

I mean she really fucked up today biggly.

[carterdavis]

Unsubscribe!

[politeruin]

I only use a phone with LineageOS and it’s simple to turn off emergency alerts so you’re saying other phones don’t allow you to do this? Wow.

[markfrauenfelder]

All phones allow you to shut off emergency alerts, but supposedly you can’t shut this one off

[Ratel]

@frauenfelder

Trump will text every American tomorrow

Will I be able to reply?

[politeruin]

Ahh i see, then i agree with the original assessment - malware.

[ArcLighter]

I, for one, welcome our new nam-shub wielding overlords.

[curlz813]

I just set a reminder to turn my phone off at 2:10pm tomorrow.

[Akimbo_NOT]

That is an excellent idea.

[Glaurung]

@ficuswhisperer

I wonder if it will be audible even when my phone is muted

I would be extremely surprised if you are allowed to mute it. Just pray that the bureaucrat responsible for sending out messages on the system is more competent than the ignoramus handling the emergency alert system in Ontario earlier this year, who sent out a province wide alert instead of a localized alert when a child was abducted.

I was not amused to discover that my phone was making nerve-rattling siren sounds over something utterly irrelevant to me and I could not stop it without turning the damn thing off (getting an alert in Toronto about an abducted child in Thunder bay is like Bostonians being told that they need to seek high ground because of a hurricane making landfall on the Georgia coast).

[anon72705028]

this is going to be the worst version of twitter ever

[docosc]

I shall hold my fire until I see how this is used. I could see a very rare instance where something like this could be valuable. Not tnat I think it will ACTUALLY be used in a responsible manner, but the possibility exists.

[SamWinston]

I use a trac phone that deducts charges for text messages as ‘airtime’.

Is this message 'free to read or receive"

Because having to PAY for receiving a message from Trump is offensive.

[geoduck]

And of course the thought that he might misuse it in some way is completely impossible.

[RickMycroft]

@Glaurung

I would be extremely surprised if you are allowed to mute it. Just pray that the bureaucrat responsible for sending out messages on the system is more competent than the ignoramus handling the emergency alert system in Ontario earlier this year, who sent out a province wide alert instead of a localized alert when a child was abducted.

From the way it said “Presidential Alert”, I wouldn’t be shocked if their sloppy software leaks Trump’s megatweet into Canada.