Skip to main content

President Obama still not allowed to use an iPhone, but White House tech update mean his aides now can

President Barack Obama has said in the past that he’s not allowed to use an iPhone for security reasons (though he does use a WiFi-only iPad) – but the NY Times reports that senior White House aides finally can. The change of policy comes as part of a major update to elderly White House technology.

Until very recently, West Wing aides were stuck in a sad and stunning state of technological inferiority: desktop computers from the last decade, black-and-white printers that could not do double-sided copies, aging BlackBerries (no iPhones), weak wireless Internet and desktop phones so old that few staff members knew how to program the speed-dial buttons […]

Many White House aides now carry the most recent iPhones. Mr. Obama, however, still carries a specially modified, highly secure BlackBerry.

One would hope that the modifications to that Blackberry include the messaging system, since the company’s CEO last year implied that the security of its messaging system is less than perfect.

While Obama is a seeming fan of Apple products, he unsurprisingly came down on the FBI’s side when it came to the company’s refusal to build a ‘GovtOS’ for the San Bernardino iPhone.

Photo: White House Photo/Pete Souza

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Comments

  1. PhilBoogie - 8 years ago

    Huh? ‘kay then. Perhaps he was given the ‘ok’ from the Federal Bureau of iPhones.

  2. jsmallz - 8 years ago

    Maybe when Apple doesn’t use third party servers? What is the reasoning behind this?

    • PhilBoogie - 8 years ago

      Considering the fact that BBRY has their servers in another country that reason would seem…odd.

  3. Federal Bureau of iPhones… love it.

    In truth, it would seem that the iPhone would be MORE secure (iPhone6, 6S, +) on IOS8 & 9 than any Blackberry devices… Interesting that the secret services have not caught up on that.

  4. cydianerd - 8 years ago

    The newer iPhones are secure devices to carry around. Even FBI had to arrange lots of melo-drama before hacking into an iPhone.

  5. No wonder it’s so easy for foreign governments and terrorists to hack into our government’s files. They are still in the dark ages. But, anyone who’s had to deal with the Federal Government on any level already knew this.

Author

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Ben Lovejoy

Ben Lovejoy is a British technology writer and EU Editor for 9to5Mac. He’s known for his op-eds and diary pieces, exploring his experience of Apple products over time, for a more rounded review. He also writes fiction, with two technothriller novels, a couple of SF shorts and a rom-com!


Ben Lovejoy's favorite gear