Apple accused of amassing data on Iphone customers

Nick Farrell
The Inquirer
Friday July 6, 2007

A ROW IS BREWING across the pond about the amount of data that AT&T and Apple are collecting on the connection forms for the Iphones.
On the application form, Jobs Mob and its new Telco acolyte AT&T are demanding punters hand over their social security numbers.

For reasons only known to itself, and Steve Jobs moves in mysterious ways his miracles to perform, Apple wants punters to hand over numbers it not only has no need for, but which could do a fair bit of damage in the wrong hands.

As News.com points out every tech paper in the US should be screaming about this, but they aren't because they are too busy praising the nice new phones in the hope that Apple will bung them a free one.

AT&T has a poor record when it comes to looking after customer details. Currently it is in the middle of a class action after it let the security services set up shop in its network without a warrant.

An iPhone will not only reveal phone call details but also provide snoops with the social security numbers of the people making the calls. Well it will make their lives easier.

No one will explain why Steve Jobs wants the information. His fans would give him an autobiography if he let them, but why he wants the social security numbers of ordinary people is anyone's guess.

News.com is worried that too many people will hand over the data in the heat of the moment, particularly if they have been queuing for one of the things for more than a few hours.

More here.