Apple Watch banned from UK cabinet meetings over ‘security fears’

The Apple Watch has been banned from UK cabinet meetings, according to a new report.

Theresa May’s closest politicians will be prohibited from wearing their Apple Watches in cabinet meetings due to security fears.

Theresa May and her political posse with be prohibited from wearing their Apple Watches in cabinet meetings, purportedly in a bid to stave off Russian cyber attacks. The government is said to be worried that the smartwatches may be susceptible to hacking, potentially allowing unscrupulous third parties to listen in on high-level policy discussions. The Telegraph quotes one source as saying: “The Russians are trying to hack everything”.

Watch: Apple Watch Series Two vs Apple Watch
(video id:5115989985001)

Related: Apple Watch Series 2

The ban doesn’t come as a huge surprise, as phones are already prohibited in cabinet meetings due to security fears. So it’s logical to extend the injunction to smartwatches too, since they contain the same basic electronic structure and, thus, vulnerabilities.

The UK isn’t the first country to enact such a ban, either. The Apple Watch has already been barred from Australian cabinet meetings. According to a source in the government, more attention needs to be paid to communications security, especially when devices offer internet connectivity. The advisor said: “In a world in which it is necessary for government to have conversations that truly have no electronics in the room, there are going to be more and more items that will have to be locked away in cabinets.”

Related: Best smartwatches 2016

It’s probably sensible, considering the number of high-profile hacking incidents lately, including the breach of Democratic National Committee systems in the states, which the Obama administration has already pinned on the Russians.

Watch: The Refresh

Are you worried about possible smartwatch hacking? Let us know in the comments below.