A rumor circulating this week claims that a mobile phone device that cannot be monitored by the US secret service, the NSA, is in the works. According to the rumors, the smartphone will be available soon.
Today, Silent Circle – a Washington-based encrypted communications service – and Spanish smartphone maker Geeksphoneannounced that they are teaming up to create the Blackphone. According to a press release, the device promises to be the first smartphone that puts “privacy and control directly in the hands of its users.”
The publication states:
The Blackphone, powered by a secure Android operating system called PrivatOS, will be a smartphone that will provide individuals and businesses with the ability to make and receive secure phone calls, exchange SMS securely, transfer and store their files securely, have secure video chat and generally have uncompromised privacy protection.
“I’ve spent my entire career working on secure telephony products,” said Phil Zimmermann, co-founder of Silent Circle and renowned cryptographer. “The Blackphone will provide its users with everything they need to ensure their privacy and control over their communications, along with all the other high-end features of a smartphone.”
Details on exactly how the Blackphone have not been given, but we'll likely learn more at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on February 24th when the phone is officially unveiled. Pre-orders for the device will begin on the same date.
As TechCrunch's Natasha Lomas points out, the Blackphone won't be the first encrypted smartphone to hit the market, but its appearance could herald a new trend.
