The NSA is quietly writing code for Google’s Android OS

[Natural Citizen]

http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-07-03/security-enhanced-android-nsa-edition#r=nav-fs

This isn't really general politics but no other place to keep track of this sort of thing to follow up. :cool:

[muh_roads]

At least it is public knowledge now. Will be interesting to see how the open-source community moves forward with this knowledge.

[CPUd]

They are talking about SELinux, which has been public knowledge and open-source since 2000:

https://github.com/torvalds/linux/blob/8a72f3820c4d14b27ad5336aed00063a7a7f1bef/security/selinux/include/objsec.h

[V4Vendetta]

Yeah, I'm thinking I'm going to go back to my old school, flip type, cell phone

[anaconda]

Not sure how a government agency gets to do product development in the private sector.

[V4Vendetta]

Not sure how a government agency gets to do product development in the private sector.

Retired NSA and CIA officials flock to Google... i don't know... maybe use a littler common sense.
Wait common sense isn't all that common anymore.

[anaconda]

Retired NSA and CIA officials flock to Google... i don't know... maybe use a littler common sense.
Wait common sense isn't all that common anymore.

But it sounds like the NSA is currently contributing to the software development. That is different than a former NSA employee being paid to work for Google. That's constitutional and on Google's dime, not the taxpayer.

[CPUd]

But it sounds like the NSA is currently contributing to the software development. That is different than a former NSA employee being paid to work for Google. That's constitutional and on Google's dime, not the taxpayer.

The article in the OP is painfully inaccurate and misleading. Go through the comment section and you will see it is filled with people pointing that out.

If they were writing code for Apple's iOS, yes, there would be a problem such as you describe. Android is not the same type of product as iOS, w.r.t. ownership/licensing. In the context of IP, Google doesn't really own the software itself, just the name and identifying marks. Several different groups and thousands of individual programmers (including myself) contribute to its development.

Google does host the source code, make their own contributions and have authority over what can be included in those releases, but that's how a CVS works. Anyone can post modified code, but if it conflicts with the existing code, someone has to make the final call on whether or not to accept it into the head revision. Generally, anyone can download the source and host their own project- they could change the name to whatever, and license it as a derivative work. You can't do that with iOS.

NSA is not writing code for Google; SELinux existed well before Android, and was not developed by their 'spying division', but their 'information assurance' division. SELinux is being used by millions of systems worldwide.

[Natural Citizen]

The article in the OP is painfully inaccurate and misleading.

NSA is not writing code for Google

No, it's not...and yes they are. Or writing code for Android at least. And Google makes it clear, as you said, that anyone can.

[Natural Citizen]

Many of these technology companies are in a world of hurt right now so it's expected that those who depend on them for whatever reason defend what's happening. Begging convenient questions that redirect the discussion away from the relevant terms of controversy and toward irrelevance does not and will not cut it though.



“The agency says that it hopes to include the code in all Android devices going forward, including phones, tablets, televisions and cars.”

Perhaps we need to revisit section 215 of the Patriot Act. :rolleyes: