Hacker News Reader

Comment by baxtr | Hacker News Reader

I think my main communication is probably the last tool that I want to be government backed tbh.

Even if it's communication/announcements from the government?

I too am constantly frustrated that official communications from governments happen on Twitter or Facebook.

Communications/announcements from the government can easily be posted on the government's website or, if really needed, sent as an SMS

My local government still lets you sign up for email notifications about services and local alerts. It’s great!

Too expensive, bad idea.

What do you mean? They'll just pass a law saying carriers have to deliver them for free

SMS are virtually free for every carrier. The prices for the customers exist to partially offset the fixed costs of the infrastructure (which already exists).

Here unlimited free SMS for customers has been the norm for most plans.

This is how you get the Andy Burnham "don't use disposable BBQs" announcement sent via the emergency system.

are those your "main communication" tools?

I agree that I don't trust governments today to provide the necessary confidentiality guarantees but remember that both physical mail and the phone network are government backed - in the sense that they set the rules even if they are operated by private entities in some countries.

I think the lessons of 2026 must be:

- the dangers of fascism are very real

- technological choices won't save you from the snatch squads, although grassroots use of tech by communities can help

- fascism is extensively promoted by some corporations and their owners

- a non-captured government that is willing to push back is much better than relying on corporations

- anything headquartered in America is potentially subject to arbitrary sanctions against non-US users

- just because we don't like the solution doesn't mean the problem isn't real (see age verification debate)

Fascinating! Where I live, fascism is not the threat, it is rampant socialism. It is spreading like cancer and destroying lives and economies.

Where do you live? Because I’m guessing you’re wrong.

Probably he lives on Twitter.

Lmao

what country are you from that you trust US corps more than your own government?

That bar is low. Less than 8% of the world population lives in a full democracy (Economist Democracy Index).

US corporations aren't full democracies either

Arguably that number is 8℅ too high

I hear this sentiment a lot from people in the USA. They deeply distrust their government and can't imagine it being different anyway else in the world.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com