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Anti-Spy Devices in Development For Phones

U.S.’s former intelligence contractor, Edward Snowden has stated that he’s working a cell phone case that would prevent its users from getting spied on.

Snowden is an ex-National Security Agency analyst that hopes to avoid the iPhone 6 and other devices of the like to transmit data; location is particularly highlighted on this instrument.

The gadget is not going to block cellphone signals, but it will impede the transmission of GPS data; phones that are in “airplane mode” will also be affected by this. Presently, the iPhone 6 is known to channel GPS data when the phone is on “airplane mode.” Because of this, hackers and governments are capable of “turning on” a cell phone.

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A document submitted by Snowden to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Media Lab says, “Front-line journalists are high-value targets, and their enemies will spare no expense to silence them.” He adds, “Unfortunately, journalists can be betrayed by their own tools. Their smartphones, an essential tool for communicating with sources and the outside world — as well as for taking photos and authoring articles — are also the perfect tracking device.”

The gadget is in development by Andrew Huang, who is a Singapore-based American hacker. The cases’ design is to slip on the bottom of the phone, and it is connected to the SIM card which regulates the outbound data. The user is notified by an alarm when unwanted signals are detected.

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Prototypes of the invention are expected to be released this year, but its availability is limited.

Currently, the project is on a small budget that relies on volunteer efforts.

Snowden is suspected to be living in Moscow. The U.S. government is suspecting him to have jeopardized America’s security by sharing confidential information while working as a contractor for the National Security Agency in 2013.

Source: VOANews

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