Prison officials in the UK are considering a ban on a tiny cell phone that resembles a key fob; the phone is marketed as the "world's smallest mobile" - the problem with the small size is that prisoners can fit them in body cavities.


According to BBC they are designed to resemble the fobs used to transmit a signal to unlock vehicle doors, and feature logos from brands including BMW, Volkswagen, Bentley, Audi and Porsche.

A spokesman for the UK's Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders said it believed the devices were being made without its members' permission.

The product description of one device sold via Amazon states that it features "very very very low metal contact badges [which] can be removed due to metal content alarm", while another says the fob is "easily concealable".



A prison service spokesman said it was already making efforts to detect the devices.

"A range of techniques - including body orifice security scanners and high-sensitivity metal detectors - has seen the [overall] number of recorded seizures increase," he said.

The latest key fob mobile phone has the potential to increase the number of mobiles in prisons simply by the nature of the design and size.

"This will lead to further problems in prisons and whilst we recognize the work of the Ministry of Justice and the National Offender Management Service in addressing this issue, more needs to be done.
Ladar Levison, speaking about his company for the first time in public regarding his decision to close shop and also his renewed stance on fighting to set a legal precedent to rid cloud-data companies from government surveillance.