Edward Snowden is working on an iPhone case which would alert its user and deactivate a device should it be accessed by an unauthorized party.
In a bid to prevent being traced, hacked, or snooped upon, Edward Snowden hasn’t owned a smartphone since he exposed the United States government’s global surveillance program in 2013.
Now, Snowden has revealed that he is actively collaborating to produce an iPhone case which could alert its user should it be accessed by an unauthorized party, and would automatically shut down the device in the event that it became compromised.
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Snowden refers to the case as an “introspection engine” – the case would make use of an iPhone’s SIM slot to monitor and deactivate the device’s phone radios in the event that it was accessed.
The case, which features as small, simple monochromatic screen, would alert its user if and when the device is broadcasting a signal it isn’t supposed to. In the event that the iPhone was accessed by a hacker or government agency, the case would be able to disable all radios aboard the device.
Snowden, who is working alongside American hacker Andrew Huang, plans to release a working prototype with the year.
“One good journalist in the right place at the right time can change history…This makes them a target, and increasingly tools of their trade are being used against them” Snowden offered.
In a statement to, Huang clarified that “Our approach is: state-level adversaries are powerful, assume the phone is compromised… Let’s look at hardware-related signals that are extremely difficult to fake. We want to give a you-bet-your-life assurance that the phone actually has its radios off when it says it does.”
The team are planning to distribute the cases – which would be produced in China – to offer to journalists and news organizations, after which the design would be open sourced for third parties and annoyed government agencies to dissect.
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