President Donald Trump has finally relented and ditched his unsecured Android smartphone in favor of a secured iPhone.
President Trump has been criticized for using an unprotected device, despite holding one of the highest and most important offices in the world.
It was earlier believed, that President Trump handed over his off-the-shelf unsecured Android smartphone post his swear-in ceremony. However, it was later discovered that the President was sending out tweets from his old phone.
According to a tweet from Dan Scavino Jr., the director of White House's social media platforms, the President has replaced his handset with an iPhone. President Trump has been using the device for a couple of weeks now. Scavino Jr. also confirmed that the Twitter messages were indeed coming from President Trump and not anyone else.
Are The Assertions True?
Even though Scavino Jr. asserted on March 28 that the President is using an iPhone for the past few weeks, tweets from Trump — as current as March 25 — are reportedly from an Android phone. A report from CNBC asserts that a Tweetdeck — which shows off a tweet's source — reflected that a March 25 post from President Trump was via an Android device.
Why President Trump Switched To An iPhone
The President of the United States using an unsecured smartphone is a national security issue. This is because the unsecured device can be an easy target for hackers. Hacking of the President's smartphone not only endangers his life, but can also leak out classified data pertaining to national security.
Several Congressmen and senators were worried because of President Trump's continued usage of the unsecured Android handset. Two senators even raised their concerns to Jim Mattis, the Secretary Of Defense, in a letter.
The letter that was addressed to Mattis contained a twofold complaint from the senators. Firstly, the officials said that the unsecured Android device did not leave behind a Presidential paper trail. Secondly, an unsecured Presidential phone is an open invitation to hackers.
"This behavior is more than bad operational security — it is an egregious affront to national security," wrote the senators in the letter.
Trump Taking A Bite Of Apple
President Trump using an iPhone suggests that his relationship with Apple may have improved. For the unfamiliar, at a campaign rally in 2016, Trump suggested people boycott all Apple products since the company declined a request by FBI to unlock an iPhone. He was referring to the San Bernardino shooting, where a gunman's iPhone needed to be unlocked. However, Apple refused to comply with the FBI's demand.
"First of all, Apple ought to give the security for that phone," said Trump during the rally.
At the time, Trump asserted that he would boycott Apple and its products, till the time the company gave the security number of the shooter's phone to the FBI.
It is not known which iPhone model is being used by the President. However, it is definitely more secure than his older Android smartphone.
