Unclassified FBI Document: Ability to legally access Secure Messaging App Content and Metadata (January 2021)

bbbhltz@beehaw.org to Technology@beehaw.org – 459 points –

An official FBI document dated January 2021, obtained by the American association "Property of People" through the Freedom of Information Act.

This document summarizes the possibilities for legal access to data from nine instant messaging services: iMessage, Line, Signal, Telegram, Threema, Viber, WeChat, WhatsApp and Wickr. For each software, different judicial methods are explored, such as subpoena, search warrant, active collection of communications metadata ("Pen Register") or connection data retention law ("18 USC§2703"). Here, in essence, is the information the FBI says it can retrieve:

  • Apple iMessage: basic subscriber data; in the case of an iPhone user, investigators may be able to get their hands on message content if the user uses iCloud to synchronize iMessage messages or to back up data on their phone.

  • Line: account data (image, username, e-mail address, phone number, Line ID, creation date, usage data, etc.); if the user has not activated end-to-end encryption, investigators can retrieve the texts of exchanges over a seven-day period, but not other data (audio, video, images, location).

  • Signal: date and time of account creation and date of last connection.

  • Telegram: IP address and phone number for investigations into confirmed terrorists, otherwise nothing.

  • Threema: cryptographic fingerprint of phone number and e-mail address, push service tokens if used, public key, account creation date, last connection date.

  • Viber: account data and IP address used to create the account; investigators can also access message history (date, time, source, destination).

  • WeChat: basic data such as name, phone number, e-mail and IP address, but only for non-Chinese users.

  • WhatsApp: the targeted person's basic data, address book and contacts who have the targeted person in their address book; it is possible to collect message metadata in real time ("Pen Register"); message content can be retrieved via iCloud backups.

  • Wickr: Date and time of account creation, types of terminal on which the application is installed, date of last connection, number of messages exchanged, external identifiers associated with the account (e-mail addresses, telephone numbers), avatar image, data linked to adding or deleting.

TL;DR Signal is the messaging system that provides the least information to investigators.

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Here's my foolproof method of not having any issue with the FBI: Don't do illegal stuff.

You'd be surprised at how many things you do today that has been illegal or will be illegal in the future. The last part is the real scary one.

This is such a bad take lacking any solidarity with people that have no choice in doing illegal stuff or who are trying their best to make the world a better place. What is legal or illegal is solely defined by governments. In the context of the US, it is now illegal in some parts to have an abortion, to be transgender, to be an immigrant, to be black, etc. So "don't do illegal stuff" is a reminder of your privileged position to be able to lean back and have nothing to fear, while other people just by existing or by trying to survive automatically are considered illegal. And think of all the whistleblowers like Edward Snowden. We as peole are much better off because of them, yet they have to fear the state's repressions.

Your response makes me really angry just by how inconsiderate and insulting it is :(

Agreed entirely--privacy is and will always remain an essential human right.

Edward Snowden immediately fled to a fascist kleptocracy. Dude doesn’t care about anything. He just wanted his fame and glory and to save his own ass.

Where in the US is it “illegal” to be trans or black? C’mon.

And even then, it’s not a federal issue. The FBI doesn’t give a shit whether or not someone travels to another state to get an abortion.

While Don't break the law, asshole is solid advice for staying off the FBI's radar, it's not really a guarantee.

And sometimes, justice requires breaking the law. Remember that the Holocaust was legal and Stonewall was not.

Again, I think I need to remind people that it’s 2023.

You're now being intentionally obtuse, again look at all the anti-trans legislation, look at the repeal of Roe, look at all that and so much that is in the works, the fact that you're in the privileged position to ignore it AND proceed to also ignore how damn many people don't, leads me to believe you'd be the guy hiding the zombie bite in the team. Don't be the guy hiding the zombie bite in the team, you can do better.

There is no place in America where it is illegal to be trans.

And you’re talking about just state issues. The FBI only deals with federal issues.

You're right, it's 2023 and Roe v. Wade was recently repealed, what do you think about that?

I think it sucks and that the entire Supreme Court ought to be disbarred.

Saying "it's 2023" has no bearing on what is possible, seeing as how our society just lost 50 years of federally protected health and privacy rights. It's 1972 to half the population now, not 2023.

Your argument "don't do anything illegal and you won't have anything to hide" is worthless to the half the population that had their rights to make their own health decisions stripped away from them.

Your statements are the Mason guy of the 40s anti-fascist propaganda.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJriMuVEPMY&pp=ygUQRG9udCBiZSBhIHN1Y2tlcg%3D%3D

You guys are talking specifically about the FBI, which has no jurisdiction over abortion law enforcement.

"If you've got nothing to hide, you've got nothing to fear!" 😉

Tell that to Fred Hampton.

Dude, that was literally 54 years ago.

And everyone knows that the FBI was never involved in the extrajudicial killing of an innocent dissident besides that one time.

Can you point to any in the last 20 years?

Can you name all of the actors that played Putties in the original English run of Power Rangers from the 90s?

See, I can set arbitrary, movable goal posts, too.

It doesn't work that way. FBI documents remain classified for 50 years before being accessible to FOIA. That means that we don't have the means to confirm culpability outside that 50-year window.

I can throw names at you. But here's what I know will happen in response. You will either;

A) Claim the person was not innocent. Despite conflicting claims, they either had a weapon, attempted violence, whatever. So they deserved to be murdered.

Or

B) The situation is not clear. Nobody was outright blamed. Details are fuzzy. Investigations were inconclusive.

Regardless of what I post, the outcome will never be "Wow, you're right. I guess law enforcement does kill innocent people without impetus sometimes." You will always move the goal posts and claim that I did not meet your burden of proof. Because you're arguing ideologically in bad faith. And since I'm not a fucking idiot, I'm not going to waste my time.

And if you want to say that you are, in fact, arguing in good faith, then my rebuttal is simple;

I'm not doing your fucking homework for you, Billy.

Tell that to trans people in Florida, or people seeking abortion healthcare on Texas

It’s not illegal to be trans anywhere in the us.

The FBI deals with federal matters, not state matters.

:mindblown: Holy crap! You just completely solved the problem in one take didn't you?