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by LargeWu 5126 days ago
That's not really what "security theater" means. Security theater refers to highly visible actions that make it seem like enhanced security, but ultimately have no effect. Think: the ticking agent asking you if you are bringing bombs onto the plane in your luggage.

The Apple review process, draconian as it may be, almost certainly has a real, strong effect in actually preventing malware.

2 comments

"Think: the ticking agent asking you if you are bringing bombs onto the plane in your luggage."

Actually average people would probably know enough to think "someone could just lie when asked - that doesn't provide protection".

To me "security theater" is doing things that seem to appear to lock something down in the eyes of an average uninformed person. Average is not Bruce Schneier or an 8 year old. It's a typical traveler who believes they are secure because they see checkpoints, have to take their shoes off, and have to have their laptop scanned.

Security theatre is also putting all your faith in some security authority who claim that it must be safe because they are the security authority - but you aren't allowed to look under the hood.

It's exactly like the TSA having magic terrorist detectors - but you can't be told how they work because of security