FYI.

This story is over 5 years old.

Tech

I Used a Typewriter to Avoid the NSA, Just Like Germany Wants to

It's not the first time retro tech has been considered to avoid the NSA.

As you can see, I also have a non-electronic typewriter, but it's in severe need of repair (anyone know how to make the ribbon feed correctly? It's getting stuck.), so we'll continue reporting this news in the now customary electronic format.

Sensburg isn't the first to consider using a typewriter to avoid the NSA—last year, officials in Russia said they were going to buy 20 typewriters in hopes that the old technology would help the country avoid digital leaks.

Germany, of course, has been at the center of many of Edward Snowden's NSA revelations. Last year, Snowden revealed that the NSA was listening in on the personal conversations of many foreign heads of state, including those of German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Earlier this month, Germany arrested an intelligence official suspected of working as a Central Intelligence Agency double agent, so it makes sense that Germany would want to be careful with the goings-on of the committee it's using to investigate the NSA.

Sensburg's committee hasn't yet decided if it will actually use the typewriters, but going back to retro tech isn't the worst idea in the world.