14 DAY TRIAL // The terrorist attacks in Paris are raising all kinds of questions, some more important than others. One of the most pressing is about the way terrorists communicated with each other without getting too much attention, and it looks like they could have been using PlayStation 4 consoles.
Even in a terrorist cell that's not communicating with the rest of the organization, there are people who need to talk with one another. Meeting is not usually an option since many are already suspects and on various watch lists, so this leaves them with only one option - keeping in touch in a way that can't be traced.
Most of the regular channels are not all that secure, and not even services like Whatsapp, which is notoriously difficult to track, are offering complete protection. Various other methods have been used in the past to keep authorities away from secret plans, like using a single email account and writing a message kept in the Draft folder. One of the latest means of communication is the PlayStation 4 console, which also has a messaging service.
PlayStation 4 in the news about terrorists
Getting its name in the same sentence with the terrorist attacks from Paris is not a good thing for Sony, so the fact that the PlayStation 4 has been mentioned in such a context by a Belgian official will be damaging.
“The thing that keeps me awake at night is the guy behind his computer, looking for messages from IS and other hate preachers," has said the Belgian Federal Home Affairs Minister Jan Jambon, according to a report on xpats.com
The official claims that the new console from Sony is harder to intercept, although that might be a problem for Belgium and not other countries. "PlayStation 4 is even more difficult to keep track of than WhatsApp," the official continues.
It's not clear if the anti-terrorist forces are already in talks with Sony, but this is the kind of situation that is lose-lose for the Japanese company. If they refuse access, they appear as if they were protecting the terrorists. If they say yes, the larger community might have a problem with privacy.
UPDATE: According to a report on eurogamer.net, Sony has responded to the allegations, saying that if they notice any kind o shady activity they are going to report it to the authorities.