There's no evidence ISIS used PlayStation 4 to coordinate the Paris attacks

Following the attacks on Paris on Friday, speculation started flying about how the terrorists communicated.

Belgian interior minister Jan Jambon's comments about Sony's PlayStation 4 being "even more difficult to keep track of than WhatsApp" rose to the surface and grabbed headlines -- but those comments came three days before the Paris attacks. They were unrelated.

Jambon had said that terror networks are increasingly using Sony's PS4 console to communicate and plan their attacks.

Presumably, he was referring to the PS4's Party Chat feature, which allows players to exchange voice and text messages one-to-one or in a group. While Jambon only referred to the PlayStation 4, the Party Chat feature can be accessed from other consoles -- like the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita -- and even a PlayStation app for iOS and Android.

This has led to speculation that governments will start snooping more closely on conversations within gaming chats, as they have in mobile apps.

Jambon's comments are problematic, in that they frame PS4 as a technically more complicated platform to monitor. More than a technology issue, though, it's simply difficult for authorities to chase terrorist groups across different media platforms.

Generally, it's not harder to monitor someone on the PlayStation network (PSN) than on any other form of online conversation. But if the people behind the terror attacks indeed used PlayStation to communicate, it was likely because gaming chatter is less likely to be monitored by the government, and the frequent mention of guns and violence makes it harder to automatically highlight people who might pose as potential threats.

Still, leaked government documents show that authorities have been nervous enough about these platforms to send agents into online gaming worlds in hopes of sniffing out subversive activity.

Additionally, other forms of online communication have better protection against eavesdropping. Encryption adds a layer of difficulty for authorities as governments have been pushing back on tech firms to allow a "back door" to transmission streams. Mobile messengers like WhatsApp, Snapchat and Apple iMessage already encrypt messages, and Line recently added encryption, too.

Another mobile messenger, Telegram, markets itself as an especially secure and encrypted platform. CEO Pavel Durov said at a conference in September that he doesn't feel pressured to lighten security, even if ISIS uses his platform: "Ultimately, ISIS will find a way to communicate with its cells, and if any means doesn’t feel secure to them, they’ll [find something else]. We shouldn’t feel guilty about it. We’re still doing the right thing, protecting our users’ privacy."

"The way to deal with the terrorist threat is not to shut down the platforms that everyone uses," Matthew Hunter, an international technology lawyer with Olswang Asia, told Mashable. "To shut down platforms is just chasing their tail; they'll find another platform to use."

He also recognised the need for governments to monitor messages, though that could step on the toes of privacy advocates. He suggested that governments agree on a global framework on how to collect citizen data in a way that doesn't infringe on privacy.

"It can't be a free-for-all, but it also can't be that governments have no access to data," he said.

UK Prime Minister David Cameron said in January that he wanted to outlaw "strong" encryption on these services so his government can intercept messages among terrorists. Several days later, former defence secretary Tom King blamed services like WhatsApp and Snapchat for ISIS advances.

Bangladesh, too, is considering blocking access to WhatsApp and Viber in hopes of preventing terrorist groups from communicating. It had already temporarily blocked messaging apps WhatsApp, Viber, Tango, Line and mypeople at the start of this year over security concerns. Its intelligence agencies recommended the blocking based on surveillance showing groups exchanging messages planning "subversive activities."

Updated 16 Nov, 11:15pm ET with additional information.