PLEASE STOP CHANGING BORIS'S ACCOUNT PICTURE TO HARDCORE PORN
September 29, 2018 7:36 AM Subscribe
Oopsie! The conference of the governing Conservative party begins tomorrow in Birmingham, where topics for discussion include the 'ease' of solving the Ireland border issue using technology. Meanwhile, the app for attendees (which anyone could download) has a privacy policy and 'complies with ...GDPR'. Unfortunately, while the conference is known for having strict security - well, sometimes - the app ... perhaps less so. How bad? Really bad. Naturally, as soon as The Twittersphere was alerted, lots of people decided to be the UK Prime Minister, or perhaps a Cabinet Minister, for a while. The app is also gamified, though it is unclear how Tory Party conference attendees earn points. It's also unclear by how much this falls foul of GDPR . Also, balloons. [Independent]
(There's a lot more tweets flying around with personal information e.g. mobile phone numbers which am not linking to because doxxing and because legalities. Also, delayed making this post live until the login issue has been removed from the app so no naughty MeFites can get up to mischief!)
@leonardocarella:
The background letters falling down at her 2017 conference speech. The power shortage during her Salzburg speech. The app meltdown at this year’s conference. Theresa May must have angered the God of Metaphor.
(There's a lot more tweets flying around with personal information e.g. mobile phone numbers which am not linking to because doxxing and because legalities. Also, delayed making this post live until the login issue has been removed from the app so no naughty MeFites can get up to mischief!)
@leonardocarella:
The background letters falling down at her 2017 conference speech. The power shortage during her Salzburg speech. The app meltdown at this year’s conference. Theresa May must have angered the God of Metaphor.
I have to keep checking multiple sources to see if this is actually true, and it is. Incredible. An app that anyone could download and, just by entering the email address of an attendee at the conference, get a bundle of personal information about that and other attendees.
How the hell did that ever get signed off? At this point in time, senior people in the UK security services are probably collectively head-desking.
posted by Wordshore at 7:49 AM on September 29, 2018 [7 favorites]
How the hell did that ever get signed off? At this point in time, senior people in the UK security services are probably collectively head-desking.
posted by Wordshore at 7:49 AM on September 29, 2018 [7 favorites]
Thank you for the delay in posting, the temptation to do something regrettable would have been massive.
posted by SometimeNextMonth at 7:58 AM on September 29, 2018 [9 favorites]
posted by SometimeNextMonth at 7:58 AM on September 29, 2018 [9 favorites]
It’s difficult to imagine anything that would be more offensive, disturbing, and/or degrading than a photo of Boris Johnson.
posted by GenjiandProust at 8:00 AM on September 29, 2018 [17 favorites]
posted by GenjiandProust at 8:00 AM on September 29, 2018 [17 favorites]
Thank you for the delay in posting, the temptation to do something regrettable hilarious and deeply satisfying would have been massive.
FTFY
posted by Wordshore at 8:02 AM on September 29, 2018 [11 favorites]
FTFY
posted by Wordshore at 8:02 AM on September 29, 2018 [11 favorites]
To add to this bit of embarrassing news for the Tories, there's also the matter of Daniel Kawczynski being fingered as the Shrewsbury Fruit Fondler.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 8:04 AM on September 29, 2018 [13 favorites]
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 8:04 AM on September 29, 2018 [13 favorites]
And I thought the thing about the, rapidly deleted, Plaid Cymru video depicted their new leader as staring in a ' gritty 90s detective show set in Carmarthenshire' would be the most hilarious political story I would see today.
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 8:17 AM on September 29, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 8:17 AM on September 29, 2018 [1 favorite]
BuzzFeed News was able to access the personal mobile phone numbers of cabinet ministers, MPs, Tory party members, and journalists within seconds.
(also, it is deeply pleasing to see this specific MeFite favoriting comments in this thread)
posted by Wordshore at 8:19 AM on September 29, 2018 [3 favorites]
(also, it is deeply pleasing to see this specific MeFite favoriting comments in this thread)
posted by Wordshore at 8:19 AM on September 29, 2018 [3 favorites]
Last year conference was a complete disaster with coughing May and the falling letters and this year is following suit... before it's even started!
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 8:23 AM on September 29, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 8:23 AM on September 29, 2018 [1 favorite]
From Tory Party HQ: "Daniel Kawczynski was in Shrewsbury at the time, but he was merely there to view the delightful Shrewsbury Castle, which is an example of early Medieval red-stone construction that stands on a hill above the river Severn, and did not fondle any fruit. Also, the man in the picture is actually named Alexander Petrov, and we have never met him before."
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 8:23 AM on September 29, 2018 [7 favorites]
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 8:23 AM on September 29, 2018 [7 favorites]
Guardian: "Gove’s picture was changed to Rupert Murdoch, his previous employer at the Times.
Anyone could log in as any attendee by providing an email with no password. Many MPs had registered with their public parliamentary email addresses, making it simple for any member of the public to access their mobile number.
The flaw raises questions over the ability of the government to harness technology to solve issues around the Irish border and customs checks."
posted by Wordshore at 8:28 AM on September 29, 2018 [23 favorites]
Anyone could log in as any attendee by providing an email with no password. Many MPs had registered with their public parliamentary email addresses, making it simple for any member of the public to access their mobile number.
The flaw raises questions over the ability of the government to harness technology to solve issues around the Irish border and customs checks."
posted by Wordshore at 8:28 AM on September 29, 2018 [23 favorites]
(also, it is deeply pleasing to see this specific MeFite favoriting comments in this thread)
Few things have brought me as much joy as the Saga of the Shrewsbury Fruit Fondler.
posted by schadenfrau at 8:42 AM on September 29, 2018 [9 favorites]
Few things have brought me as much joy as the Saga of the Shrewsbury Fruit Fondler.
posted by schadenfrau at 8:42 AM on September 29, 2018 [9 favorites]
Cough Cough Irish Border, Technical Solution Cough
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 8:48 AM on September 29, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 8:48 AM on September 29, 2018 [4 favorites]
@Jack_Blanchard_:
"Glorious. According to Thursday's Evening Standard, Tory chairman Brandon "safe pair of hands" Lewis was going to unveil the shiny new conference app in his speech tomorrow, as evidence of how he's modernised the party since last year's shitshow."
@ChrisMasonBBC:
"On the subject of the Conservative Conference app breach, I've now been texted by a Tory source who clearly didn't mean to text me, describing what has happened as "a shit show." "
Thread... @MintRoyale:
"I’m currently logged in to the Conservative Conference app as Boris Johnson and now have his phone number..."
posted by Wordshore at 8:50 AM on September 29, 2018 [8 favorites]
"Glorious. According to Thursday's Evening Standard, Tory chairman Brandon "safe pair of hands" Lewis was going to unveil the shiny new conference app in his speech tomorrow, as evidence of how he's modernised the party since last year's shitshow."
@ChrisMasonBBC:
"On the subject of the Conservative Conference app breach, I've now been texted by a Tory source who clearly didn't mean to text me, describing what has happened as "a shit show." "
Thread... @MintRoyale:
"I’m currently logged in to the Conservative Conference app as Boris Johnson and now have his phone number..."
posted by Wordshore at 8:50 AM on September 29, 2018 [8 favorites]
Just to be the vibe harsher my mother always wanted me to be - it's probably not a good idea to talk online about being logged in as someone else on the app, as that's unauthorised access under the Computer Misuse Act 1990. ("How do you know, Devonian?" "Shhh....")
It's vastly unlikely to matter. But I'm a firm believer that if you're admitting to a criminal act on the Internet, you might as well know about it.
posted by Devonian at 9:16 AM on September 29, 2018 [5 favorites]
It's vastly unlikely to matter. But I'm a firm believer that if you're admitting to a criminal act on the Internet, you might as well know about it.
posted by Devonian at 9:16 AM on September 29, 2018 [5 favorites]
I cannot work out how to log out as Boris Johnson
posted by Vortisaur at 9:56 AM on September 29, 2018 [7 favorites]
posted by Vortisaur at 9:56 AM on September 29, 2018 [7 favorites]
To answer the 'how did this happen' question: this is the party that has had quite enough of experts
posted by The River Ivel at 10:20 AM on September 29, 2018 [45 favorites]
posted by The River Ivel at 10:20 AM on September 29, 2018 [45 favorites]
I'm just thinking of the fun to be had, now the numbers are out there, with SIM hijacking and then joining the various, notorious Tory Whatsapp groups. And if I'm thinking this, I find it hard to imagine people to the east of me haven't already.
posted by Damienmce at 10:45 AM on September 29, 2018 [6 favorites]
posted by Damienmce at 10:45 AM on September 29, 2018 [6 favorites]
I'm just thinking of the fun to be had, now the numbers are out there...
@harrykind:
"If anyone wants it, Jacob Rees-Mogg's mobile number is DCCV MMLCXII CMDXXIV"
posted by Wordshore at 10:58 AM on September 29, 2018 [11 favorites]
@harrykind:
"If anyone wants it, Jacob Rees-Mogg's mobile number is DCCV MMLCXII CMDXXIV"
posted by Wordshore at 10:58 AM on September 29, 2018 [11 favorites]
Someone should change all their photos to a picture of a hedge.
posted by Homo neanderthalensis at 12:46 PM on September 29, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Homo neanderthalensis at 12:46 PM on September 29, 2018 [1 favorite]
“I've downloaded the app off Google Play store and yes: the privacy policy is Australian.”posted by rum-soaked space hobo at 12:56 PM on September 29, 2018 [1 favorite]
show yourself, coward. i will never log off
I cannot work out how to log out as Boris Johnson
posted by Vortisaur at 16:56 on September 29
posted by rum-soaked space hobo at 1:13 PM on September 29, 2018 [2 favorites]
(also, it is deeply pleasing to see this specific MeFite favoriting comments in this thread)
I was expecting baggymp, am disappointed. But thank you Wordshore, this post was the hilarity I needed this morning.
Also the responses to this are gold:
@BrandonLewis
We’ve have had a technical issue with our Conference App that has been resolved and it is now functioning securely. We are investigating the issue further and apologise for any concern caused. #CPC18
posted by Pink Frost at 2:18 PM on September 29, 2018 [2 favorites]
I was expecting baggymp, am disappointed. But thank you Wordshore, this post was the hilarity I needed this morning.
Also the responses to this are gold:
@BrandonLewis
We’ve have had a technical issue with our Conference App that has been resolved and it is now functioning securely. We are investigating the issue further and apologise for any concern caused. #CPC18
posted by Pink Frost at 2:18 PM on September 29, 2018 [2 favorites]
The Entegy privacy policy on their website addresses both Australian and EU law.
Except it doesn’t comply with Australian privacy policy requirements. It refers to the ‘National Privacy Principles’, which haven’t existed since 2014.
It also doesn’t even mention GDPR, but references the older EU regs. So safe to say it’s probably not compliant with the GDPR policy requirements.
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 5:56 PM on September 29, 2018 [3 favorites]
Except it doesn’t comply with Australian privacy policy requirements. It refers to the ‘National Privacy Principles’, which haven’t existed since 2014.
It also doesn’t even mention GDPR, but references the older EU regs. So safe to say it’s probably not compliant with the GDPR policy requirements.
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 5:56 PM on September 29, 2018 [3 favorites]
This smacks of ‘client forgot to specify authentication requirements, and someone on the dev side passive-aggressively went with it.’ I can’t see an educated/experienced developer making an oopsie like this. Would be interesting to see what the official explanation is.
posted by mantecol at 8:53 PM on September 29, 2018 [6 favorites]
posted by mantecol at 8:53 PM on September 29, 2018 [6 favorites]
And I thought the thing about the, rapidly deleted, Plaid Cymru video depicted their new leader as staring in a ' gritty 90s detective show set in Carmarthenshire' would be the most hilarious political story I would see today.
Oh that's incredible. Did they film it on VHS? Probably found the camcorder in the same cupboard as that red knit tie he's got on.
posted by fshgrl at 11:00 PM on September 29, 2018
Oh that's incredible. Did they film it on VHS? Probably found the camcorder in the same cupboard as that red knit tie he's got on.
posted by fshgrl at 11:00 PM on September 29, 2018
I'm not in a position to rate his reliability, but a truly terrifying Twitter thread from James Patrick.
Today in Brexit hellscape, the foreign secretary compared the EU with the Soviet Union.
posted by Quagkapi at 3:55 PM on October 1, 2018
Today in Brexit hellscape, the foreign secretary compared the EU with the Soviet Union.
posted by Quagkapi at 3:55 PM on October 1, 2018
Whoops, that was Sunday.
If anyone has any emigration strategies they'd like to share, please do.
posted by Quagkapi at 4:01 PM on October 1, 2018
If anyone has any emigration strategies they'd like to share, please do.
posted by Quagkapi at 4:01 PM on October 1, 2018
The always sublime Marina Hyde sums up the conference:
Theresa May, who mostly resembles a Quentin Blake drawing of an unravelling postmistress
Theresa May v the 'Great Twatsby' at the Tories’ Groundhog conference
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 8:34 AM on October 3, 2018 [1 favorite]
Theresa May, who mostly resembles a Quentin Blake drawing of an unravelling postmistress
Theresa May v the 'Great Twatsby' at the Tories’ Groundhog conference
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 8:34 AM on October 3, 2018 [1 favorite]
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posted by Damienmce at 7:40 AM on September 29, 2018 [23 favorites]