Phantom secure is a company that provided custom mobile phones with software that encrypted messages meaning that these devices were immune to things such as wiretapping or decryption. Basic functions such as calling, texting, or the internet were removed from them, instead, they had an encrypted system that allowed phones to communicate only with each other. Basically, it was a customized blackberry phone designed for maximum privacy. Phantom secure also was equipped with a kill switch. It means that when the phone was lost, stolen or anything else happened to it, you could remotely delete data from it and make it inoperable. Moreover, knowing that the device had no functions except sending encrypted emails, you could communicate only with people who also had this phone.
This solution was good for keeping privacy, but it quickly became a tool for criminals. It allowed them to coordinate their actions undetected. Many drug smugglers including members of the Sinaloa cartel who used phantom secure to cover their activity, but also organizations like Hells Angels used phantom secure to carry out killings. It is believed that there were between 10,000 and 20,000 users of phantom secure and according to the FBI, all of them are included in criminal activity.
In 2014, Hells angels made a killing in Australia and communicated with customized Blackberries to make it possible. Therefore, the Australian government was unable to detect the criminals responsible for this. After this event, Phantom mobiles were even more desired in criminal environments, because it was a tested product, that guaranteed privacy of its users.
Demand for phones was huge. One of the Australian distributors had about 800 clients from different crime organizations. Soon, it was so popular that governments of different countries began to investigate phantom secure, finally leading to its downfall. The case of phantom secure says a lot about the influence of technology on crime, ranging from drug trafficking to murders. Even with newer and better technological advancements, they can still be used for wrong purposes, just like phantom secure.
Sources:
https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/untoc20/truecrimestories/phantom-secure.html
https://www.vice.com/en/article/v7m4pj/the-network-vincent-ramos-phantom-secure
https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/phantom-secure-takedown-031618