News for hackers. Stuff that matters.
Re:'We have your porn collection': The rise of extortionware by varispeed on Tuesday March 30, 2021 @02:26PM (#26638357)
This only works because many people are sensitive to this kind of content. But in few generations, this will be like trying to expose someone's stamp collection. That of course unless we get an event like in Iran, where extremist will take over and enforce their views upon population.
Re:'We have your porn collection': The rise of extortionware by dfxm12 on Tuesday March 30, 2021 @02:58PM (#26638813)
This technique isn't about porn, per se. It's about finding something you think the mark thinks is embarrassing, or shameful. The message is easily changed and could change to whatever the taboo du jour is.

I don't think we're a few generations away from high level managers having done nothing online that they're ashamed of.

Re:'We have your porn collection': The rise of extortionware by ryandrake on Tuesday March 30, 2021 @03:24PM (#26639159)
I think a major extortion growth industry will be things like off-color jokes which were benign and harmless 20 years ago, but now are considered cancel-able. If someone with an axe to grind had access to every USENET post you made two decades ago, or a forum discussion you had, how easily could they find that one nugget that could get you fired by today's tightened standards?

Related: What topics do you freely talk about today which will get you fired in 20 years when society's expectations and sensitivity level changes? (Hint: It's impossible to know)

Re:'We have your porn collection': The rise of extortionware by dfxm12 on Tuesday March 30, 2021 @04:00PM (#26639641)
I think it doesn't matter if it would actually get you fired or not, as much as if you think it could possibly get you fired.

In an alternate world, labor would be strong enough that a worker could be comfortable knowing that their managers can't just fire them at-will for frivolous reasons. Labor is not at that point, in the US, at least.

If you're worried about this, vote for pro-labor politicians & judges when you can. Collectively bargain for protections or procedures for individual dismissals for this, etc.

Re:'We have your porn collection': The rise of extortionware by varispeed on Tuesday March 30, 2021 @05:22PM (#26640715)
> If you're worried about this, vote for pro-labor politicians

Not many people know that here in the UK we got something like IR35 which innocently says that if someone works as an employee should be taxed as an employee (this was introduced by Labour to tackle employees registering a company on Friday, and going to work for the same company on Monday on b2b basis and paying less tax as a result). Now current government (Tories) added changes to this law so that now a client has to determine whether you are a genuine contractor or a disguised employee and then tax you at source. Still nothing sinister at the first glance, right? The problem is that because of that change employers will be able to construct their contracts in the way that contractor / employee will be always classed as a disguised employee, but only for tax purposes. This means workers hired this way will legally not have any employment rights - I mean their only recourse will be against their own company, that will not have any profits to care for employment benefits and so on. So for example if your de facto employer fires you when they learn you are pregnant, you only be able to take to court yourself (your own company). Anyway - I think much simpler explanation is here - https://norightsemployee.uk/step-by-step

What I want to say though - our Labour party and unions did absolutely nothing to stop this. This not only can render unions obsolete in the hands of crafty corporations, but essentially strips away decades of what Labour was fighting for.

So even if you vote Labour or pro-labour parties - there is no guarantee they will not sell you down the river.

Re:'We have your porn collection': The rise of extortionware by edflsafoiewq on Tuesday March 30, 2021 @03:15PM (#26639037)
Somehow I doubt shame will have been bred out of humans in a few generations.
Re:'We have your porn collection': The rise of extortionware by Gunax on Tuesday March 30, 2021 @03:24PM (#26639157)
Not shame itself, but it's possible people would not care about porn in the same way outing someone as gay has lost most of it's bite.
Re:'We have your porn collection': The rise of extortionware by keenreed on Tuesday March 30, 2021 @03:08PM (#26638950)
Are you sure that trend is towards more tolerance? New generations have less sex, are more conservative... And governments are less and less tolerant to anything "disrespectful".
Re:'We have your porn collection': The rise of extortionware by souldeux on Tuesday March 30, 2021 @03:19PM (#26639084)
[citation needed]
Re:'We have your porn collection': The rise of extortionware by astura on Tuesday March 30, 2021 @11:03PM (#26643075)
Re:'We have your porn collection': The rise of extortionware by keenreed on Tuesday March 30, 2021 @03:37PM (#26639316)
Playboy today does not have any nudity... ;)
Re:'We have your porn collection': The rise of extortionware by StavrosK on Tuesday March 30, 2021 @04:28PM (#26640002)
Wait, really? How do young people get their pornography then?
Re:'We have your porn collection': The rise of extortionware by RcouF1uZ4gsC on Tuesday March 30, 2021 @02:48PM (#26638672)
I don’t know. Do all your porn videos feature enthusiastic consent? Do any of your porn videos have racial stereotypes? Are all your porn videos showing safe sex practices? Are all your porn videos showing a diverse group of actors, or are they just mainly from a single ethnic group? Do all your porn videos celebrate people with different body types at the same time not fetishizing them?

Looking at current trends, I suspect that all those questions will be asked about any porn stash that is revealed a d people with problematic porn stashes will be called out.

Re:'We have your porn collection': The rise of extortionware by thomastjeffery on Tuesday March 30, 2021 @03:00PM (#26638839)
Stamps can be controversial too: https://www.history.com/news/11-most-controversial-stamps-in...

The overwhelming majority of sex-positive people understand that fantasy is not behavior, and that the interests of an individual are rarely diverse. The only sort of porn that is ubiquitously "problematic" features people who were either underage or did not consent.