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Comment by rdlecler1 | Hacker News Reader

The bigger issue is not just censorship but the potential governments access to communications of non-Chinese commercial actors. While it's common to do business on WeChat I don't know if anyone outside of China would feel confident that this isn't a security risk.

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Do you honestly think US-based services are exempt from NSA/NRO/CIA snooping and should be trusted?

No, but at least US is not likely to leak some random personal info to non-allied government, e.g. China in this case, on purpose. It is neither legal nor preferable for the U.S. government to do so, I guess. And it might also be probable for an U.S. citizen to feel safer under the surveillance of an opponent of U.S., if not by the U.S. simultaneously.

Do you think the NSA is going to give your trade secrets to a domestic competitor? That's the concern.

Um, yes? It may not happen to the extent it happens in China, though, but I'm certain they do it, too. After all the NSA is run by the same type of corrupt elite as the rest of the government is.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/21/world/nsa-dragnet-included...

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/09/nsa-spying-bra...

https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20131112/08223925211/if-ns...

Yep. See the Airbus espionage debacle.

I don't think the scale is remotely comparable, but fair counterpoint.

If you are discussing trade secrets on WeChat or Facebook Messenger I feel like you are doing it wrong. Any 3rd party communications service should not pass due diligence.

Isn’t the entire point of slack that you discuss trade secrets and implementation details over it?

And isn’t it also a 3rd party service?

But that's exactly how WeChat is used in China. And really no different that having google host your email.

https://theintercept.com/2014/09/05/us-governments-plans-use...

Censorship is a lesser issue when compared to access to communications of commercial actors?!

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