UK Cabinet Members Told To Take Off Apple Watches

Britain’s Prime Minister has reportedly banned cabinet members from wearing Apple Watches during meetings. The move is said to be inspired by fears of Russian hackers.

The Telegraph newspaper says Theresa May’s decision beefs up an existing policy which meant ministers had to leave their smartphones outside the room during meetings. That was driven by the perceived risk of phones being hacked and microphones used to listen in on sensitive discussions.

Several in the tech community have noted that the ban on Apple watches may be an overreaction to recent stories alleging Russian state involvement in high-profile hacking of Western politicians and sporting drug testing agencies. Not only would it be difficult to get rogue software on to an Apple watch, but with the smartphone out of range, it would be extremely tricky to make and store audio recordings on the watch without a noticeable battery drain.