President Trump ignores cell phone security protocol

According to the website Politico, US President Trump is ignoring White House security protocols to keep his iPhones safe. According to sources, one of his smartphones, which is used for Twitter and news websites, is insecure.

The phone Trump would use to consult news websites and Twitter would not be equipped with advanced security mechanisms to shield the communication, Politico reports on the basis of two unnamed senior government officials. Trump allegedly ignored requests from White House security officers to step up security.

He was advised to switch the Twitter phone monthly, but Trump is said to have ignored that advice until now, saying it was “too inconvenient.” This iPhone has not been checked by security personnel for five months. According to another senior White House official, the other separate phones that Trump is able to use to make calls are switched on a regular basis. This would not have happened with the Twitter phone, partly due to the security options that Twitter provides.

Trump’s phones can be used for conversations, unlike the ones Obama used. That’s because Trump’s devices still have a camera and a microphone. The GPS tracker would have been removed from Trump’s iPhone.

In 2017, two US senators already raised the alarm about the security of President Trump’s smartphone. In a joint letter, they asked for clarification about reports that the president was still using an unsecured Android device.