Natalya Kaspersky's Snoop-Proof Phone Helps Putin Thwart Spies

  • Taiga smartphone prevents spying by apps such as Google
  • Designer InfoWatch bets on demand from companies, agencies

InfoWatch’s Taiga phone

Source: InfoWatch
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A Russian security company run by Kaspersky Lab’s co-founder is introducing a smartphone that prevents Google and other apps from snooping on users, seeking to capitalize on the country’s tensions with the U.S.

The Taiga phone, designed by Moscow-based InfoWatch Group and named after desolated forests in Siberia, runs its own Android-based firmware that lets apps run on the device but stops them from collecting data. The phone also has a built-in agent that gives the administrator -- such as a corporate IT department -- control over what apps will work on the device and what content the user can access or share.