The US is now the largest investor in commercial spyware

Re:The US is now the largest investor in commercial spyware by OutOfHere on Thursday September 11, 2025 @12:01PM (#45213131)

Yes, but China doesn't have any power to lock up someone, or to disempower someone, at least so long as you don't visit China. Meanwhile, the US and Israel are well known to target individuals both domestically and around the world irrespective of their affiliation.

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Re:The US is now the largest investor in commercial spyware by SilverElfin on Thursday September 11, 2025 @12:16PM (#45213334)

What is power? Like legally? China definitely has international policing outposts that are meant to cast their power outside their borders.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/12/world/europe/china-outpos...

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Re:The US is now the largest investor in commercial spyware by ImJamal on Thursday September 11, 2025 @12:12PM (#45213289)

They have the power to arrest people in China. Any Chinese outside of China could have their family still in China arrested.

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Re:The US is now the largest investor in commercial spyware by hirvi74 on Thursday September 11, 2025 @12:34PM (#45213514)

> China doesn't exercise much power to lock up someone, or to disempower someone, at least so long as you don't visit China.

I am not certain that is necessarily true. At least, not if one is originally from China.

https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/trnsprnc/brfng-mtrls/prlm...

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Re:The US is now the largest investor in commercial spyware by lmz on Thursday September 11, 2025 @12:43PM (#45213587)

Telling someone their family is going to get it if they keep doing what they do is quite some distance away from... straight up bombing them.

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Re:The US is now the largest investor in commercial spyware by hirvi74 on Thursday September 11, 2025 @02:11PM (#45214453)

I am not sure I am following you. Who are you implying are the bombers and during what time period?

As for China not bombing anyone, while true, I believe it's merely a matter of time. While I hope I am wrong, Taiwan seems awfully worried to be located about 80 miles away from their peaceful and loving neighbor for some reason.

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Re:The US is now the largest investor in commercial spyware by corimaith on Thursday September 11, 2025 @01:55PM (#45214295)

And you think China won't bomb foreign adversaries if they can? Or any country for that matter.

The answer is don't place yourself in the crosshairs of great powers in the first place, which then puts into the degree you can align yourself with their interests.

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Re:The US is now the largest investor in commercial spyware by pessimizer on Thursday September 11, 2025 @01:23PM (#45213988)

And anybody who happens to be nearby.

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Re:The US is now the largest investor in commercial spyware by pessimizer on Thursday September 11, 2025 @01:30PM (#45214044)

It's also important to keep in mind that China has less than a quarter of the per capita prison population as the US. If you're talking about who's a police state, the US and China just aren't in the same universe.

Or from another direction, China has 4x the population of the US, and still has fewer people in prison.

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Re:The US is now the largest investor in commercial spyware by hirvi74 on Thursday September 11, 2025 @02:02PM (#45214369)

1. That is under the assumption that the Chinese government is releasing accurate data. I assume international entities are not granted access to Chinese prison facilities directly, but I could be wrong.

2. There are 'alternative' ways of dealing with suspects and criminals other than prison sentences. And on that note, if China has a lower per capita prison population than the US, then it makes China having the highest rate of capital punishments even worse.

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Re:The US is now the largest investor in commercial spyware by corimaith on Thursday September 11, 2025 @01:57PM (#45214315)

That's more on an indictment of multiculturalism as opposed to cultural homogenization though, which I imagine many here would furiously oppose the latter.

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