Has Banksy struck again? This weekend, a new work of street art—in Banksy’s signature stenciled look—appeared just three miles from a British intelligence agency office in the U.K. The new image depicts three suited men with listening equipment spying on a real-life telephone booth. Though there’s no formal confirmation that it was created by the legendary street artist, critics say it has all the hallmarks of his style. The BBC reached out to the GCHQ, the controversial agency accused of spying on communications, to get their feedback on the piece, which appears to take aim at their intelligence programs: “Although we are not qualified critics, we are as intrigued as the rest of the residents of Cheltenham about the appearance of the mysterious artwork. For those who are interested, our website gives a glimpse of what modern-day intelligence operatives are really like, although some may be disappointed by the lack of trench coats and dark glasses.” Yeah, but what about all of the domestic spying equipment? …
UPDATE: This is definitely a new Banksy. The image of a couple enamored with their smartphones appeared on the artist’s website, though the location is currently unknown.
