A hacking collective on Monday released what it claims are more than one million unique device numbers for Apple products that it allegedly pulled from an FBI agent’s laptop.
AntiSec said it leaked the so called UDIDs to call attention to what it sees as evidence of the government agency collecting device details and potentially tracking the activity of citizens. In a post on Monday, the group claims the original file it downloaded included information about some 12 million devices, often including personal details like names, addresses and cellphone numbers.“It is a piece of the puzzle that suggests the extent to which the government has moved beyond targeted surveillance in particular cases to massive surveillance of all Americans,” said Jennifer Granick, director of civil liberties at the Stanford Center for Internet and Society. ”Someone in the government should launch an investigation into this practice and find out what purpose if any the collection of this data serves.”...Even if that’s the case, however, the massive scope of database raises concerns about government overreach and adequate due process, said Ryan Calo, assistant law professor at the University of Washington focused on privacy. “Absent a mandate from Congress or some very compelling legal need for enforcement purposes, I just don’t see why the FBI would have this,” he said, calling AntiSec’s allegations “alarming.”
- Date Published:09/04/2012
- Original Publication:San Francisco Chronicle