Protecting Journalists: Edward Snowden Designed iPhone Add-On That Could Stop Eavesdroppers

When famous whistle-blower Edward Snowden called reporters to his hotel room in Hong Kong to share some of the NSA’s secrets, he asked every one of them to put their cell phones in the minibar. And no, he hadn’t gone mad. The idea behind such a weird request was to block any unwanted radio signals that could be used to silently activate the phones’ cameras and microphones.

Three years later, it seems like the former U.S. spy agency contractor has come up with a better solution. Working with hacker Andrew "Bunnie" Huang, Snowden developed a case-like Apple Inc. AAPL iPhone attachment that monitors radio transmissions affecting the device. While other methods are currently available, he has argued none of them are enough to protect users from government-backed eavesdroppers.

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The creators of the add-on explained it is aimed at protecting reporters and journalists working in high-risk locations by shutting down radio connectivity while still maintaining the device's working capabilities.

“The device, which Snowden and Huang are referring to as an ‘introspection engine,’ consists of an attachment to a modified iPhone that physically wires into the antennas inside the phone for GPS, Bluetooth, cellular connectivity, and Wi-Fi through the SIM card slot (moving the SIM card itself into the external pack). It then can directly monitor radio transmissions, alert users to any unauthorized output when the radios are meant to be off, and even offer a kill-switch to immediately shut off the device,” The Verge’s Chaim Gartenberg explicated.

To access the full paper explaining how the device works and was conceived, follow this link.

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Disclosure: Javier Hasse holds no interest in any of the securities or entities mentioned above.

Posted In: NewsLegalGlobalTechAndrew HuangBunnie HuanChaim GartenbergEdward SnowdeniPhoneThe Verge
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