Following reports that he was still using his old, unsecured Android handset after becoming president, the White House said Donald Trump finally switched to an iPhone last year. But according to Politico, Trump isn’t listening to his advisers when it comes to using mobile devices in a secure way.
Citing “two senior administration officials,” the publication writes that the president uses two iPhones—one for phone calls and the other for using Twitter and browsing a handful of news sites. The White House Information Technology and the White House Communications Agency issued both devices.
The report claims that Trump’s aides urge him to swap out the Twitter phone on a monthly basis, but he says this is “too inconvenient.” It’s now been five months since the device has been checked by security experts. Politico writes that President Obama had his handsets checked by staffers every 30 days.
It’s unknown how often the phone used for calls is changed, but a West Wing official said they “are seamlessly swapped out on a regular basis through routine support operations. Because of the security controls of the Twitter phone and the Twitter account, it does not necessitate regular change-out.”
It’s also reported that the phone used for calls still has its microphone and camera enabled—no word if the Twitter phone has the same functions—which may present a security risk. The GPS trackers on both devices, which could be used to track the president’s location, have been disabled.
As the report is based on the word of two anonymous sources, we can’t be certain that it's 100 percent accurate. Officials seem to be confirming some elements but downplaying the potential security risks they pose. You can read the full article here and decide for yourself.
