Edward Snowden is best known for revealing the spy programs of the US's National Security Agency, but his next project is intended to make citizens feel more secure.

 

爱德华·斯诺登因披露美国国家安全局的间谍计划而名声大噪，而他的下一步计划是让民众获得更多安全感。
 

 

It's an app, called Haven, that's designed to turn Android phones into all-in-one anti-spy systems.

 

"Imagine if you had a guard dog you could take with you to any hotel room and leave it in your room when you're not there. And it's actually smart, and it witnesses everything that happens and creates a record of it."

 

The idea is simple: You install the app on a cheap "burner" phone -- one that can be thrown away -- and then set up the phone in a place you want to monitor.

 

Perhaps you're in a hotel room in Hong Kong, worried that a world power is attempting to spy on your actions. What to do? Install Haven on an otherwise inexpensive Android smartphone.

 

You can program it to start recording or taking photos if someone enters your room. Those recordings can then be sent securely to your personal phone, perhaps through an encrypted-communication tool like Signal.

 

As the image above demonstrates, Haven uses encrypted services like Signal and Tor that let users retain full control of the communication.

 

In so many words, the app is intended to turn a smartphone into a personal security system.