File photo: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks between Vice President Mike Pence (L) and EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt prior to signing an executive order on "energy independence," eliminating Obama-era climate change regulations, during an event at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) headquarters in Washington, U.S., March 28, 2017. (REUTERS/Carlos Barria)
It may seem silly to care what type of smartphone a public figure uses, but in the case of President Donald Trump, it's a national security issue.
Prior to Trump's inauguration, the New York Times reported that Trump traded in his Android phone for a secure, encrypted device approved by the Secret Service; the Associated Press reported the same thing. Now, we know that the secure, encrypted device he's using is an iPhone.
The president's social media director and senior advisor Dan Scavino Jr. on Tuesday evening tweeted that Trump "has been using his new iPhone … for the past couple of weeks here on Twitter." Which is kind of funny, considering that Trump last year called for an Apple boycott after the Cupertino tech giant refused to unlock the San Bernadino shooter's iPhone for the FBI.
Earlier this year, a report from the Times raised concern that Trump was still using "his old, unsecured Android phone, to the protests of some of his aides." Following that report, two Senate Democrats asked the Department of Defense for more details about the security of Trump's smartphone.
More From PCmag
"While it is important for the President to have the ability to communicate electronically, it is equally important that he does so in a manner that is secure and that ensures the preservation of presidential records," Sens. Claire McCaskill, ranking member of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, and Tom Carper wrote in a letter to Defense Secretary General Mattis. They went on to say that "security risks associated with the use of an unsecured phone include hackers' ability to access the device to turn on audio recording and camera features, as well as engaging surveillance tools that allow location and other information tracking features."
Meanwhile, Trump's predecessor Barack Obama used a BlackBerry for most of his time as president, but was able to trade up to a newer smartphone during his last year in office. Check out what Obama had to say about the phone in the video below, starting at 2:13.
This article originally appeared on PCMag.com.
Get a daily look at what’s developing in science and technology throughout the world.