You just cannot trust the government anymore. Recent reports have surfaced about how the National Security Agency can spy on us while using our smartphones and other devices. A Switzerland-based joint venture wants you to be free from the prying eyes of Big Brother with its Blackphone, a smartphone that protects you from being snooped.
This collaboration project between Silent Circle and Geeksphone is backed by several important figures in computer security, including Phil Zimmermann, the man behind the data encryption protocol PGP (Pretty Good Privacy).
Blackphone uses a so-called “security-oriented” take on Android called PrivatOS. This smartphone is independent from carriers and vendors, and enables users to make and take secure phone calls and video conversations, as well as exchange secure texts. Users can also transfer and store files securely.
While the joint venture has not released the specific hardware fitted into its Blackphone, Silent Circle CEO Mike Janke claims it will be a “high-end” device. Zimmermann, meanwhile, claims the device focuses more on user’s privacy rather than specs.
“Blackphone provides users with everything they need to ensure privacy and control of their communications, along with all the other high-end smartphone features they have come to expect,” Zimmermann said in a statement.
Silent Circle is a U.S.-based company that focuses on encryption, while Geeksphone is a Spanish company behind developer devices equipped with Firefox OS.
Blackphone is expected to be unveiled at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on February 24.
Source: Mashable
