Joseph Cox

Yes. For years, I used an iPod Touch as a secure device, and now I've moved on to an iPad Mini because the iPod's no longer supported, unfortunately.

So I call it an encrypted phone, which is simultaneously a helpful term, but then also not very helpful at all. We don't really have the terminology for it. But yes, it's a combination of things. It had a secure communications app that allows you to send end-to-end encrypted messages to one another with photos and...

So I call it an encrypted phone, which is simultaneously a helpful term, but then also not very helpful at all. We don't really have the terminology for it. But yes, it's a combination of things. It had a secure communications app that allows you to send end-to-end encrypted messages to one another with photos and...

voice memos and all of that, very much like a Signal or a modern WhatsApp or a Freema or whatever, right? And it also was a custom phone operating system. It is based on Android somewhat. It's actually a fork of Graphene OS, the privacy-focused operating system. Apparently, Anom had also removed all GPS functionality so that there would be no way

voice memos and all of that, very much like a Signal or a modern WhatsApp or a Freema or whatever, right? And it also was a custom phone operating system. It is based on Android somewhat. It's actually a fork of Graphene OS, the privacy-focused operating system. Apparently, Anom had also removed all GPS functionality so that there would be no way

for law enforcement or Google or sort of third-party apps to track the location of those devices.

for law enforcement or Google or sort of third-party apps to track the location of those devices.

Which, hey, that's pretty good if you're having a private conversation and, I don't know, an abusive partner snatches your phone trying to rummage through your messages. Or if you're a criminal, a police officer does it or a border official or something like that. So there's that. There's also voice scrambling. So...

Which, hey, that's pretty good if you're having a private conversation and, I don't know, an abusive partner snatches your phone trying to rummage through your messages. Or if you're a criminal, a police officer does it or a border official or something like that. So there's that. There's also voice scrambling. So...

You know how on Signal you can send a voice note for one another, and that's very popular on other messaging apps. On Anom, you could do one where it would add either a high-pitched distortion or a low, deep distortion to it as well, and that would mask what your real voice sounded like.

You know how on Signal you can send a voice note for one another, and that's very popular on other messaging apps. On Anom, you could do one where it would add either a high-pitched distortion or a low, deep distortion to it as well, and that would mask what your real voice sounded like.

So Anon was created by someone called Afgu. I have to be a little bit careful about what I say about them for reasons that we'll get into. But they are, from what I've learned, a pretty sort of nerdy tech expert for the criminal underground. They were connected to a very well-known criminal called Hakan Ayik, who at one point was Australia's most wanted man.

So Anon was created by someone called Afgu. I have to be a little bit careful about what I say about them for reasons that we'll get into. But they are, from what I've learned, a pretty sort of nerdy tech expert for the criminal underground. They were connected to a very well-known criminal called Hakan Ayik, who at one point was Australia's most wanted man.

And this AFCO character sells or did sell phones in this space before eventually deciding, well, I'm going to go make my own. Like rather than working underneath other sellers and sort of other encrypted phone companies, I'm going to create my own tech startup for the criminal underground.

And this AFCO character sells or did sell phones in this space before eventually deciding, well, I'm going to go make my own. Like rather than working underneath other sellers and sort of other encrypted phone companies, I'm going to create my own tech startup for the criminal underground.

Yes. Legally, it's very, very messy because it's not illegal, generally speaking, to sell or use an encrypted messaging app, which is a good thing, to be clear. Like, that should not be illegal. But a lot of these companies in the, I would say, shadier part of the encryption industry... The thing that differentiates them is that they deliberately facilitate crime.

Yes. Legally, it's very, very messy because it's not illegal, generally speaking, to sell or use an encrypted messaging app, which is a good thing, to be clear. Like, that should not be illegal. But a lot of these companies in the, I would say, shadier part of the encryption industry... The thing that differentiates them is that they deliberately facilitate crime.

As in, it's not like Signal, whose users will of course include criminals, or even Apple iMessage or something, just because they're very popular. One of the taglines was, I think it was... designed for criminals by criminals, which is just asking for trouble, really. But Anom had all of those sorts of bells and whistles you would expect, you know, wiping the phone, all of that sort of thing.

As in, it's not like Signal, whose users will of course include criminals, or even Apple iMessage or something, just because they're very popular. One of the taglines was, I think it was... designed for criminals by criminals, which is just asking for trouble, really. But Anom had all of those sorts of bells and whistles you would expect, you know, wiping the phone, all of that sort of thing.

And it really positioned itself as sort of the Royals Royce of the encrypted phone industry. If you wanted a super secure device from a company that didn't care if you were a criminal, if anything, it likes the fact you're a criminal, you could turn to Anom.