Thoroughly Modern Merkel: Always Texting

German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s texting habits are so well-known in Germany that it was national news when the government announced it would be updating its secure cellphone systems with a service that ran on BlackBerry devices instead of Nokias.

The company that created the encryption system, Secusmart GmbH, dubbed it the Kanzlerphone, or Chancellor Phone. In an indication of the sensitivity of the matter, Secusmart issued a news release claiming the device possibly eavesdropped on by the US wasn't a Secusmart-secured phone but one issued to Merkel by her political party. Neither the German government nor Merkel's party, the Christian Democratic Union, confirmed that claim. The government said it was Merkel's personal cellphone that may have been under surveillance, but didn't specify who provided it. But the reports highlighted the pitfalls facing world leaders who want to stay connected.