this is the second one of these that hit HN this week? other was a post deleted from reddit. seems like possible explanations here are:
- standard 'loveint' at support depts (many companies with personal data have stories about abusing system access to look at personal info of SO / randos)
- illicit group operating within or adjacent to goog doing some kind of espionage or ransom model
- google-haters inventing or amplifying a pattern of behavior? (but with what motivation)
- not obvious if the phones are passwordless, or if insiders are using a 'universal unlock' feature to decrypt pixel devices -- if the latter, is that a bigger story than the stalking?
if this is only happening to passwordless phones, still an abuse of trust, but I'm okay with 'don't send passwordless phone to support' as a consumer best practice.
- standard 'loveint' at support depts (many companies with personal data have stories about abusing system access to look at personal info of SO / randos)
- illicit group operating within or adjacent to goog doing some kind of espionage or ransom model
- google-haters inventing or amplifying a pattern of behavior? (but with what motivation)
- not obvious if the phones are passwordless, or if insiders are using a 'universal unlock' feature to decrypt pixel devices -- if the latter, is that a bigger story than the stalking?
if this is only happening to passwordless phones, still an abuse of trust, but I'm okay with 'don't send passwordless phone to support' as a consumer best practice.