President Obama uses iPhone to make first post on personal Twitter account [u]
U.S. President Barack Obama made his first post from a personal Twitter account on Monday, doing so from an Executive Office iPhone despite previous worries about the device's security.
"Hello, Twitter! It's Barack. Really! Six years in, they're finally giving me my own account," the president said.
Although Obama already has access to @BarackObama and @WhiteHouse, both of those are typically run by White House staff, with only an occasional tweet by Obama. The new @POTUS account is Obama's own, although the White House Deputy Director of Online Engagement, Alex Wall, said that it will be transferred to successors.
Metadata in the tweet reveals that Obama posted using the official Twitter iPhone client.
In 2013, Obama told Time he was using a BlackBerry because he wasn't allowed to have iPhone. Even though the popularity of BlackBerries has declined rapidly since the first iPhone shipped in 2007, the BlackBerry data infrastructure is still considered extremely secure and remains a staple in some government and corporate environments.
The White House may have deemed the iPhone secure enough after last year's launch of iOS 8. That operating system improved iOS security with things like default disk encryption, which -- if used in tandem with a complex password, and other security measures -- can make an iPhone extremely difficult to crack.
A White House official explained to BuzzFeed News that the iPhone used was not Obama's, but rather one registered to the Executive Office of the President. Obama continues to have a specially locked-down BlackBerry as his regular phone.
"Hello, Twitter! It's Barack. Really! Six years in, they're finally giving me my own account," the president said.
Although Obama already has access to @BarackObama and @WhiteHouse, both of those are typically run by White House staff, with only an occasional tweet by Obama. The new @POTUS account is Obama's own, although the White House Deputy Director of Online Engagement, Alex Wall, said that it will be transferred to successors.
Metadata in the tweet reveals that Obama posted using the official Twitter iPhone client.
Hello, Twitter! It's Barack. Really! Six years in, they're finally giving me my own account.
-- President Obama (@POTUS) In 2013, Obama told Time he was using a BlackBerry because he wasn't allowed to have iPhone. Even though the popularity of BlackBerries has declined rapidly since the first iPhone shipped in 2007, the BlackBerry data infrastructure is still considered extremely secure and remains a staple in some government and corporate environments.
The White House may have deemed the iPhone secure enough after last year's launch of iOS 8. That operating system improved iOS security with things like default disk encryption, which -- if used in tandem with a complex password, and other security measures -- can make an iPhone extremely difficult to crack.
A White House official explained to BuzzFeed News that the iPhone used was not Obama's, but rather one registered to the Executive Office of the President. Obama continues to have a specially locked-down BlackBerry as his regular phone.
Comments
I was just about getting ready to do some bashing, but I'm feeling charitable today, so I wont!
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I do find it ironic and a little funny though that a longtime Blackberry user, somebody who's used to using real keys, chooses an iPhone to type out their first tweet.
It's about time that the President of the USA joins the current century and ditches their Blackberry for good!
People using Blackberries are ridiculous. They're like people still driving horse and carriages while everybody else is speeding around town in their Model Ts. And the longer that those few remaining dinosaurs take to switch, the more ridiculous that they will look.
Welcome on board, Mr. President!
President Selfie strikes again.
I predict that account will be hacked PDQ.
I predict that account will be hacked PDQ.
What does a PowerBook G3 have to do with this?
Rightwingers must be so grateful for the 22nd Amendment. If it wasn't for that, President Obama would be on his way to a third term.
No more grateful than the left was in 1988.
What does a PowerBook G3 have to do with this?
Rightwingers must be so grateful for the 22nd Amendment. If it wasn't for that, President Obama would be on his way to a third term.
All Americans should be grateful for a presidential term limit. In fact, Congress and the Senate need to also have term limits.
All Americans should be grateful for a presidential term limit. In fact, Congress and the Senate need to also have term limits.
Not the left! They'd obviously prefer a King or a dictatorship, as long as it was their guy.
Rightwingers must be so grateful for the 22nd Amendment. If it wasn't for that, President Obama would be on his way to a third term.
Right. Mrs. Clinton, next? Unless you vote for Jeb Bush...lol. The only GOP candidate would have a chance is Rand Paul.
Not the left! They'd obviously prefer a King or a dictatorship, as long as it was their guy.
Unfortunately, both parties would support a dictator if it was their own person.
No more grateful than the left was in 1988.
His Alzheimer's had already set Reagan's expiration date.
All Americans should be grateful for a presidential term limit. In fact, Congress and the Senate need to also have term limits.
Because politicians no longer accountable at the polls for their actions and decisions is a superior choice why? Also term limits turn the government over to the un-elected permanent bureaucracy given the endless string of newbies haven't a clue. Not ideal IMHO.
Oh and The House and Senate (they're BOTH "Congress" btw, lol) do have "term limits, they're called elections.
All Americans should be grateful for a presidential term limit. In fact, Congress and the Senate need to also have term limits.
You must not live in California then.
Because politicians no longer accountable at the polls for their actions and decisions is a superior choice why?
No, because politicians who are able to establish deep connections in Washington, and in turn exercise dangerous amounts of power, are not to be trusted by anyone. Term limits would prevent the politicians we are burdened with now, with close ties to banking, military suppliers and so forth from putting their interests ahead of their constitutional duties. No one was ever meant to have a permanent job in Congress, the Senate or the White House.
You must not live in California then.
The Congress and Senate in Washington.