German officials are considering switching from computers back to manual typewriters for sensitive documents to prevent United States’ spying, according to a July 14 statement.

“Are you considering typewriters?” an interviewer asked Patrick Sensburg, head of the Bundestag’s parliamentary inquiry into the U.S. National Security Agency activity in Germany. “As a matter of fact, we have, and not electronic models either,” he replied.

Germany’s Die Welt said the U.S. surveillance scandal has prompted a profound rethink among German leaders about how they conduct sensitive communications: “Above all, people are trying to stay away from technology whenever they can. … Those concerned talk less on the phone, prefer to meet in person. More coffees are being drunk and lunches eaten together. Even the walk in the park is increasingly enjoying a revival.”

Former German Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg chimed in on the issue on July 14, saying there is “a level of mistrust that needs to be fixed, and it needs to be fixed from Washington. … [I]t is serious when you look at the general mood right now in Germany.”

Last summer, Russia made the switch back to typewriters for the same reasons now motivating Germany’s consideration. “After scandals with the distribution of secret documents by WikiLeaks, the exposés by Edward Snowden, reports about Dmitry Medvedev being listened in on during his visit to the G-20 summit in London, it has been decided to expand the practice of creating paper documents,” a Russian official said at the time.

Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry said nearly 10 years ago that America’s vulnerability to hackers in its military systems is the nation’s Achilles heel. The spate of leaks and cyberattacks on the U.S. in recent years reveal it is among the country’s most vulnerable points. German and Russian leaders see the urgent need to take action on this front. The U.S. appears much less concerned.

Mounting revelations about widespread U.S. spying in Germany have seriously damaged relations between the longtime allies. Washington is on the verge of losing its working relationship with Berlin. To understand the significance of this rupturing relationship, watch the latest Trumpet Daily, “German-U.S. Relations Hit Low Point.”