It might be a wonder to some why President Barack Obama seems stuck with a BlackBerry, a smartphone that fell behind iPhone in popularity a couple years ago and whose future has been labeled as “bleak.”
It turns out there’s a reason why Obama can’t opt for an iPhone instead: security.
US President Barack Obama reads from his Blackberry cellphone alongside his daughters Sasha (L) and Malia (R) during a shopping trip to One More Page Books on November 24, 2012. (SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images)
Meeting young people Wednesday to discuss the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare, the president revealed that he is not allowed to have the Apple phone for “security reasons.” He is, however, allowed an iPad, Reuters observed in its report.
CNET pointed out that Obama’s daughters – Sasha and Malia — do have iPhones however, which Obama said they use a lot.
Equipped with his iPad and a Blackberry on his belt, President Barack Obama departs the Oval Office of the White House in Washington for an afternoon of golf Saturday, May 21, 2011. (AP/J. Scott Applewhite)
So, what’s so special about BlackBerry’s security? The company long been regarded as having the best network security, encryption and other features like remote wiping, though recently tech expertsplaced iPhone security as on par with BlackBerry.
But recent reports based on leaks from admitted whistleblower Edward Snowden revealed the National Security Agency can access iPhone data. Just this week, it was reported the NSA also tracks up to 5 billion cellphone locations each day. These cases and numerous others highlight how most devices don’t have the level of privacy that users expect.
In his talk with more than 100 young activists, Obama also said he maintains a personal email account to which only 10 people know the address. Reuters noted how former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush did not use email in their presidencies.