A mobile device smuggled out of North Korea has uncovered just how far the regime is going to monitor and manipulate its citizens’ behavior through technology.
At first glance, the smartphone appeared entirely ordinary. But according to a BBC investigation, it contained software that issued alerts when South Korean slang was used, and would automatically change references to “South Korea” to say “puppet state.”
Additionally, the phone was programmed to silently capture a screenshot every five minutes. These images were hidden in a folder the user couldn’t see or access — presumably for review by North Korean officials.
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