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Why Europeans, Canadians, and Officials Are Using Burner Phones In the US
Why Travelers Are Hiding Their Phones at the US Border
Have you heard of burner phones?
They are cheap prepaid phones. You buy one, use it for a short time, and then throw it away.
That’s why they are called “burner” phones — because you “burn” or get rid of them quickly.
Burner phones have been around for years. Drug dealers used them. Undercover agents used them. And many crime movies made them famous.
But now, there’s a new group using them: European officials, diplomats, and Canadian travelers who are visiting the United States.
And no, this is not a story from a spy movie. This is real.
A new report says the European Commission is giving burner phones and simple laptops to officials who travel to the US. They are also giving special cases to protect devices from spying.
Usually, Europe would only take these steps when travelling to countries like Russia or China, where they expect high-level spying.
But now, they are taking the same precautions for the United States — the country that often calls itself the “land of freedom.”
