Privacy in the Mobile-First World

Privacy without compromise. These three words define Silent Circle’s highest aim and the promise we make to our users: deliver privacy while still offering the productivity and connectivity that we’ve come to expect from technology. Today we announce the integration of Google Mobile Services into our flagship device, the Blackphone 2, and we are proud to deliver even more flexibility and choice for our users, building on our original goals.

Data has become paramount in the new digital economy. It not only drives the profits (and losses) of a plethora of companies in as many industries as you can name, but it is also the centerpiece of our individual lives — and the smartphone is the closest and most used device to interface with it. Yet amid this proverbial fire hose of data, we have lost control of our information flow. Even worse, a culture of “laissez faire” can be observed across all generations of users: We simply refuse to acknowledge the relevance of privacy in the name of convenience, and don’t give much value to the data itself at all. And let’s admit it: a good part of the reason we give up on privacy is because traditionally it was cumbersome – if not impossible – to take back control of our data.

One of Silent Circle’s key objectives is helping people protect their data, and hence their privacy, without disrupting the way they interact with technology in their daily lives. Application stores and rich media services play a fundamental role in the modern smartphone, and we are glad to announce that Blackphone 2 (which features the latest Silent OS, 2.0) will be our first device to feature Google Play and the Google apps and services that Android users have traditionally enjoyed. And yes, we deliver this without making concessions in terms of privacy and security: Our team has worked hard toward integrating GMS with our Spaces technology, giving our users flexibility and choice over when and how to share data. As with previous versions of our products, every app you install (including those downloaded through the Play Store) is monitored by our Security Center and will only have access to the data you agree to share.

For enterprises, integration with existing MDM solutions is even easier and access to widely used productivity apps will be available out of the box. Furthermore, our commitment to the Android for Work program provides even more features that can be leveraged both by employees and their IT departments in order to increase productivity and ensure a smooth transition when switching devices.

We remain dedicated to the idea that privacy tools must combine technical capabilities with ease of use and intuitiveness. It’s not a matter of convincing people that they haveto use a given tool: it’s about making that tool appealing enough that they want to use it. With Blackphone 2, we deliver a smartphone designed to do just that: it’s a great phone that also happens to be the best choice for your data privacy. We can’t wait to put it in your hands!

– Javier Aguera, Chief Scientist, Devices