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German NSA probe chief mulls spy-busting typewriters

Manual typewriters, too, not fancy electric ones subject to American electrickery

Germany's government has mulled a return to typewriters in a bid to evade US spy agencies, according to the head of the nation's National Security Agency inquiry.

The incredible decision came in response to a torrent of allegations that the NSA had spied on the German agencies and parties including Chancellor Angela Merkel.

It prompted Merkel to last week expel America's CIA chief in Berlin and fire another in a series of salvos at the US surveillance complex stating that "spying is ultimately a waste of force".

The head of the Bundestag's NSA inquiry and Christian Democrat politician Patrick Sensburg told the German Morgenmagazin program the group was seriously considering manual typewriters as a means to avoid spying.

"As a matter of fact, we have [considered typewriters] – and not electronic models either", Sensburg said.

Other committee members struck back at the remarks stating they were laughable and damaging to the integrity of the inquiry.


Opposition committee member Martina Renner said on Twitter she'd sooner get rid of the Secret Service than start using typewriters, or burning little notes after reading.

Social Democratic Party committee rep Christian Flisek also took to Twitter in opposition of the call for retro word processing labelling the idea "ridiculous" and not a normal part of counter-surveillance.

Russia was, Vulture South contends, already using mechanical typewriters and had bought a pricey fleet of 20 more post Snowden's NSA spying allegations.

It was unclear if Russia bought the Olympia and Triumph typewriters for counter-surveillance purposes or merely for nostalgia. ®

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