Original GrapheneOS responses to WIRED fact checker
by ChrisArchitect on 4/21/2026, 3:04:24 PM
https://discuss.grapheneos.org/d/34369-original-grapheneos-responses-to-wired-fact-checker
Comments
by: gslepak
> Donaldson, now 42, is a self-taught hacker who never finished school, was briefly unhoused, and spent most of his twenties in a “positive hardcore punk band.” “It’s cool being smart,” he told me. “But if you can’t pay your bills, you’re a dumbass.”<p>> The domain “Copperhead.co” was registered by Donaldson in 2014 and incorporated in 2015 under both Donaldson’s and Micay’s names. The idea was that shares would be split equally, with Donaldson as CEO and Micay as de facto chief technology officer. Their flagship product<p>It sounds to me like some "business" characters I know well. They "handle the business" while someone else does 99% of the actual work, then ask to split 50/50. This didn't work out for Donaldson, and now he spends his time harassing Micay? Is that the gist or am I misreading?
4/21/2026, 3:53:09 PM
by: Cortex5936
I love GrapheneOS and I use it daily for more than 2 years. However, and as Louis Rossmann pointed out in one of his videos, they really need to work on the "defensiveness" and "rants" of their communication. Even when they are 99% right most of the time, they sometimes don't come as mature and professional.
4/21/2026, 3:56:26 PM
by: maxo133
The fact that graphane is getting attacked speaks enough for it's relability. First in france now in Wired.<p>I'm more concerned that Signal incorporated in US is having easy life.
4/21/2026, 4:57:53 PM
by: uberman
Fascinating read. I know nothing about any of this neither the parties involved nor Copperhead though I had heard of Graphene. To that end, I wish the response included a pre-amble for those like me who were not familiar with what was going on. I guess I could probably read the Wired article though. Still. good read and I loved the Q and A at the end.
4/21/2026, 3:34:45 PM
by: johnnyApplePRNG
WIRED magazine is essentially one of the strongest extensions of the CIA's "great Wurlitzer" so I am not surprised to read this one bit.
4/21/2026, 4:55:44 PM
by: Accacin
I personally can't understand why anyone bothers doing open source anything.<p>This Micay guy spends so much time and does something hugely beneficial and we're arguing about how he responds to criticism?<p>I'd rather direct and blunt rather than the weasel words and lies most companies put out.
4/21/2026, 4:58:51 PM
by: R1shy
I think this micay guy is a little paranoid
4/21/2026, 4:15:41 PM
by: Pxtl
I just realized that Lineage and Graphene are two separate projects.
4/21/2026, 5:13:14 PM
by: ChrisArchitect
Wired article:<p><i>They Built a Legendary Privacy Tool. Now They're Sworn Enemies</i> <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/they-built-privacy-tool-grapheneos-now-sworn-enemies/" rel="nofollow">https://www.wired.com/story/they-built-privacy-tool-graphene...</a> (<a href="https://archive.ph/pbJu9" rel="nofollow">https://archive.ph/pbJu9</a>)
4/21/2026, 3:42:21 PM
by: ForHackernews
Context: <a href="https://archive.is/pbJu9" rel="nofollow">https://archive.is/pbJu9</a>
4/21/2026, 4:12:56 PM
by: ekjhgkejhgk
I know that GrapheneOS has almost a cult following on HN, but I'll make two comments.<p>1- GrapheneOS has a long history of long rants attacking people and projects. The leads will tell you that they're just correcting falsehoods etc, but a lot of companies/brands are target of falsehoods and don't bother to respond. I don't claim that GrapheneOS is wrong on anything they say, I'm just saying that these rants are a choice, and I see them as a red flag.<p>2- I once interacted with GrapheneOS on mastodon and I said something like the above. Something along the lines of "you know regardless of whether or not you're factually correct, these public attacks on other people companies are really bad for your image". Within 2 or 3 exchanged tweets they were threatening me with legal action. To me being a litigious project/person is an even bigger red flag than above. I have never in my life met someone who both lightly threatens legal action AND is an upstanding person.<p>Just my opinion, don't get upset over it.<p>EDIT: I just want to spell it out AGAIN - I don't claim that anything on their post is factually wrong, I have no idea.
4/21/2026, 3:40:54 PM
by: SV_BubbleTime
Wait… you mean a Condé Nast publication would outright lie I order to change a stock price or achieve a shared political goal!? Whhaaaa kind times are we living in!?
4/21/2026, 4:32:49 PM
by: htx80nerd
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4/21/2026, 3:52:08 PM
by: Lapsa
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4/21/2026, 4:08:18 PM
by: roos85
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4/21/2026, 3:48:35 PM
by: 0gs
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4/21/2026, 4:00:50 PM