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China Arrests Apple Distributors Who Made Millions on iPhone Data (engadget.com)

An anonymous reader shares a report: Police in China's Zhejiang province have arrested 22 (apparently third-party) Apple distributors for allegedly selling iPhone user data. Officials say the workers searched an internal Apple database for sensitive info, such as Apple IDs and phone numbers, and peddled it on the black market for between 10 to 180 yuan with each sale ($1.50 to $26). All told, the distributors reportedly raked in more than 50 million yuan, about $7.36 million, before authorities stepped in.

9 comments

  1. See? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ...peddled it on the black market for between 10 to 180 yuan with each sale ($1.50 to $26).

    Genuine American criminals used to do that work and now, the Chinese for MUCH less!

    No one is safe!

  2. This is China... by __aaclcg7560 · · Score: 2

    Out of a billion odd people, there are always some bad apples.

    1. Re:This is China... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Out of a billion odd people, there are always some bad apples.

      You can bet China will dispense equal justice in this situation - Eleven will be sentenced to labor camps, the remaining eleven will be executed (to set an "example").

  3. Not Android users by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    That data has no value.

  4. The government hates competition. by BarbaraHudson · · Score: 1, Insightful

    When you do it, it's illegal unless you've paid the right politicians. When the government does it while taking your rights away, it's criminal to leak that info. The government want's power, ever more power, and power corrupts.

    --
    "Transparent" is a shit show that trades on every stereotype going. A man in drag is NOT a transsexual.
  5. Did the right thing by realwhz · · Score: 2

    Nice. The chinese officials did the right thing.

  6. I must ashamedly admit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I do have yellow fever. Chinese women are so beautiful and hot and I'm gonna go on a tour to Guangdong to meet me some. Hopefully they're not in those open toe shoes, because that is just rank.

  7. All hail Chairman Mao by fubarrr · · Score: 1

    In waking a tiger, use a long stick.

  8. The real question.. by thesupraman · · Score: 1

    Isnt the real question here why a distributor has access to such data?

    Apple really provide its resellers with a searchable database containing such data on its users?

    If so, then go Apple! I am quite impressed, however suggest you need to drop two of the letters in your name, to fit into the normal US TLA system..