‘LOOSE lips sink ships’: this slogan was coined during World War II by the United States Office of War Information when they became aware that American sailors, who would loiter around bars and public areas near naval docks before deployment, were being targeted by spies. These spies, taking advantage of the natural proclivities of young sailors about to go off to war, would ply them with drinks and other favours, hoping — in the time-honoured tradition of spies — to pick up enough breadcrumbs to create an accurate picture of US navy deployments and supply routes, which would then be used to target and torpedo Allied shipping convoys.

While mainly intended for the navy, it applies to all services more or less because such loose lips can also get planes shot down and annihilate infantry, armour and artillery divisions. Nowadays, it’s not just loose lips you have to worry about because loose fingers and thumbs and, in fact, loose apps, photos and browsers can easily do the job as well. And in this, the job of spies has, in many senses, become much easier. Instead of buying you drinks, they can now just buy your data.

In fact, you don’t even need spies as such because we’re constantly carrying around a rectangular spy in our........

© Dawn