EU provides burner phones to officials traveling to US amid espionage concerns

In a nutshell: The European Commission is supplying staffers bound for the US on official business with burner phones and basic laptops. The security measure, which is common practice for staff members visiting regions like Russia or China where electronic surveillance is anticipated, is meant to thwart espionage attempts.

An EU official told the Financial Times, "The transatlantic alliance is over."

According to The Register, officials from the European Union are set to visit Washington DC next week to participate in spring meetings held by the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group. Should nothing change between now and then, they will likely be the first to operate under the new policy.

Additionally, staffers are encouraged to power off their phones at the border and store them in special sleeves that protect against surveillance tactics if left unattended. If it were me, I would simply leave any personal phones, tablets, or computers at home in this situation.

The White House and the US National Security Council did not comment when asked about the situation. The European Commission confirmed that its security recommendations had been updated, but didn't reveal the specifics of the latest policy.

Luuk van Middelaar, director of the Brussels Institute for Geopolitics, said the new security measures are not surprising. "Washington is not Beijing or Moscow, but it is an adversary that is prone to use extra-legal methods to further its interests and power," van Middelaar told the publication.

According to van Middelaar, it is not anything new or party-related. "Democractic administrations use the same tactics," he said, referring to a 2013 incident in which the US – under the Obama administration – was accused of spying on the phone of German chancellor Angela Merkel.

As India Today highlights, border staff in the US have the right to search mobile devices of visitors coming into the country and can even seize them. Some have even reportedly been denied entry into the US after checks of their social media profiles turned up critical posts of the Trump administration.

Tension between the US and the European Union has been high ever since Trump retook office back in January.

Image credit: Curated Lifestyle, Alexandre Lallemand