London: Britain's ministers have been reportedly banned from wearing Apple watches to Cabinet meetings over fears of Russian hackers.
The smartwatches are the new items to be included in the list of banned possessions. Mobile phones were already barred from the Cabinet under former British Prime Minister David Cameron owing to similar concerns.
Soon after Cameron entered Downing Street in 2010, mobile phones were banned in the Cabinet and under his successor, Theresa May, smartwatches have joined the items to be left outside the meeting room.
"The Russians are trying to hack everything," a source was quoted as saying to 'The Daily Telegraph'.
It is understood that similar protocols are in place in Australia.
Fears of potential hacking have intensified in the West since the US government accused Russia last week of hacking into the Democratic Party's computer networks in an effort to influence the outcome of the presidential election.
Russian hackers have also obtained the medical files of some of the world's most famous athletes.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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