1. Google’s perceived neglect or deliberate inaction
Many commenters argue that Google’s decision to close the VPN‑leak report without fixing it shows either indifference or intentional retention of the flaw.
- “If the account given by the researcher is correct, we cannot rule out that Google deliberately introduced or wanted to keep the leak in place.” – exceptione
- “I’d say a lot stronger than ‘cannot rule out’. Regardless of how it was introduced, if it is now known and the issue was closed without action, they are actively choosing to keep it.” – jjav
- “‘Closed without action’ is the tell. A leak that Google knows about and leaves in place isn’t a bug anymore, it’s a feature they’re comfortable with.” – brinepot
2. GrapheneOS’s proactive response and ongoing fix
In contrast, GrapheneOS is repeatedly cited as being aware of the issue, working on patches, and planning a larger overhaul of the VPN stack.
- “GrapheneOS is aware of the issue and are working on a fix.” – aucisson_masque
- “We’ve already shipped a bunch of fixes and will ship more soon. We plan to eventually overhaul the whole system to prevent leaks in a much more systemic way.” – grapheneos
- “GOS explicitly stated that they work on a fix, also for other issues and they keep this on their radar.” – exceptione
3. Debate over intent versus mistake, and the need for evidence
A sizable portion of the thread questions whether the closed ticket was a deliberate act or an inadvertent error, urging caution before assigning malice.
- “There's a big difference between ‘the issue was closed’ and ‘received no acknowledgment’. The former is a deliberate action. The latter could be a case of SMTP‑ate‑my‑email.” – nvme0n1p1
- “Issue could have been closed by a mis‑click, an AI bot gone wrong, a misunderstanding of the issue etc. You can’t assert it was deliberate unless … you work in the team that handled it and have inside knowledge.” – gib444
- “your logic would assert a similar conclusion with this scenario: a person walks up to you, punches you in the face, and leaves. it could have been an accident, an AI bot, or a misunderstanding. definitely not deliberate.” – kennethkl
- “I just stated that we cannot rule out a possibility of foul play, thereby keeping other options open.” – exceptione