EU equips US-bound staff with burner phones

The European Commission has issued so-called burner phones and simple laptops to certain staffers traveling to the US to reduce the risk of espionage, according to The Financial Times.

The Commission issued the new guidelines to commissioners and senior officials traveling to the International Monetary Fund and World Bank spring meetings next week. The EU has in the past used the same approach for staffers traveling to China.

“They are worried about the US getting into the Commission’s system,” an anonymous source told the Times.

The European Commission confirmed it recently updated its security advice for travel to the US, but said no specific instructions on burner phones were given in writing. Those instructions for travel to the US recommend turning off the phone at the border and placing it in a special bag to protect it from spying if it is unattended. The US White House has not commented on the matter.