Vulnerabilities in Sogou Keyboard encryption expose keypresses to network eavesdropping.
I live in China and this software is cancerous not just in the encryption failure, it also nestles into a computer like a trojan. Creates 2 fallback installations and will reinstall itself after removal if you reboot in between, unless you get rid of all 3 installations at once, where they are deliberately trying to obfuscate the uninstall button (triple confirmation, swapping the confirm/cancel buttons and button background colors, etc.).
It’s a nasty piece of crap that come preloaded on any phone (android, at least) and Windows-PC here.
It’s time to switch to Linux!
I mean the CCP is aiming to have people use Kylin? If the government and the entire populace starts using Linux instead we’ll just see the same BS on Linux instead. It’s not an OS/platform issue, but an issue of bad actors.
On the plus side maybe then it’ll finally be the year of the Linux desktop.
monkeys paw curls
Don’t worry, there is also a Linux version.
Same with Microsoft keyboard and almost every other keyboard app.
As if other keyboard apps are any different, I don’t think Microsoft bought SwiftKey just for fun?!
So use Fcitx 5 Android instead. It’s a open source IME application without requesting any permission except Notification, especially without network permission.
https://github.com/fcitx5-android/fcitx5-android
deleted by creator
And gboard or SwiftKey don’t?
Didn’t swiftpad or whatever its called send every key pressed to Microsoft?
Not a China shill. China is horrible. Microsoft less so as they don’t commit genocide in slow motion. But still, I think this sort of thing is more common than we think.
Use FOSS.
What are the best FOSS options for Android keyboard apps? I’ve been struggling with this lately.
I use OpenBoard (it’s available on fDroid. Maybe the play store too).
I don’t know if it’s the best but I like it. If you type in multiple languages you do need to hit a “language switcher” key on the keyboard to switch to the autocorrect for that language. A very minor complaint. Otherwise it’s great.
And it will learn swear words. No more ducking ducks.
I
Tencent began investing on Reddit several years back.
Tencent owns sizeable pieces (and outright owns) of more companies than you can imagine.
They invest in basically any tech company that is open to investment and willing to accept Chinese investors. To the ccp the data of the west is worth any price.
T
Never use a closed source keyboard app. It can read what you send for messages, websites you go to, search engine queries.