The soccer ball that Russian PresidentVladimir Putingifted toPresident Donald Trumpduring theircontroversial meetingin Helsinki last week may havecontained a transmitter chip, according to a new report from Bloomberg.
But while some have speculated — both in seriousness and in jest — that the ball may have been bugged, the chip is not a spy tool but rather a technological feature of the Adidas AG soccer ball that’s designed to connect fans to player videos, competitions and other content through their mobile devices.
The feature is included in the company’s 2018 FIFA World Cup match ball.
Bloomberg suggested it’s technically possible that the chip may have been removed from the ball given to President Trump and replaced with a spy device.
White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told the outlet, “The security screening process that is done for all gifts was done for the soccer ball. We are not going to comment further on security procedures.” She declined to say whether the ball had been modified or where it would be kept.
The Associated Pressreported last week that the ball was undergoing a routine security screening.
Chris McGrath/Getty
Putin’s gift to Trump last week sparked social media speculation that the World Cup souvenir could be bugged.
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham tweeted, “I’d check the soccer ball for listening devices and never allow it in the White House.”
And Sean Davis, co-founder of the Federalist Society,a national organization of conservative lawyers, tweeted, “So everyone agrees that soccer ball Putin gave Trump is bugged, right?”
source: people.com
