“Our mobile phones have become the greatest spy on the planet” – quote of the day by antivirus pioneer John McAfee
Publish Date: 2026-06-14 18:00:00
Source Domain: www.techradar.com
Where do we start with John McAfee? You may more commonly associate the name with the cybersecurity product; the late entrepreneur did indeed found McAfee Associates Inc before disassociating himself in 1994 only six years later. In his latter years, McAfee advocated for privacy and railed against tech’s aggressive encroachment on human rights.
“Our mobile phones have become the greatest spy on the planet.”
— John McAfee, August 2014
The spy in your pocket
Making a surprise speech at DEF CON 22 in Las Vegas, in 2014, McAfee focused on privacy, the dangers of smartphone apps, and the implications on increased surveillance for the future.
Although McAfee had a set of unique experiences on the subject, having experienced frequent cyberattacks and, of course, his involvement in crime and controversy, his words spoke to the ongoing encroachment on civil liberties by big tech and governments.
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This article is part of TechRadar Pro’s QOTD project to provide an insight into the minds of the brightest and most recognized figures in the technology industry today and in years gone by. Read the full series here.
The comments were made shortly after the Edward Snowden disclosures that started the year before. They were also made in the context of massively increased data harvesting by social media companies and hardware manufacturers intent on using customer data to make money.
Before he died in June 2021, McAfee even launched his own phone. The Privacy Phone, announced in April 2018, was an Android handset that included hardware-layer security.
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