China Arrests Apple Distributors Who Made Millions on iPhone Data

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.

The real question..

[thesupraman]

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..

This is China...

[__aaclcg7560]

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

The government hates competition.

[BarbaraHudson]

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.

Did the right thing

[realwhz]

Nice. The chinese officials did the right thing.

All hail Chairman Mao

[fubarrr]

In waking a tiger, use a long stick.