Let's be honest, who here is actually surprised that underpaid and overworked data workers would sell on our details for a few extra quid? Given the number of uninvited calls to our unlisted phone numbers, we know for a fact that
somebody has been dishing our personal contacts to those Nigerian princes and caring loan consolidators, so it's no shock to learn that T-Mobile employees have been fingered for committing the deed and are now facing prosecution. We're told that inappropriately leaked information made its way into the hands of brokers, who then "cold-called the customers as their contracts were due to expire" without T-Mob's knowledge. Disappointed by the failure of current fines to discourage such illegal information trade, British Justice Minister Michael Wills has even called for "custodial sentences" to be levied against the poor slobs responsible. So, if you're scoring at home, that's now two black eyes for T-Mobile when it comes to
keeping our data safe. For shame.
posted Nov 17th 2009 6:09PM
I'm overworked and underpaid (take my word for it) and I have access to details (and control) of millions of home alarm systems (including a lot of celebrities, VIPs, etc), and I can't say that selling that information has ever crossed my mind, (for one, the prospect of prison isn't terribly appealing).
This subject has me torn though, on one hand I can sympathize with anyone who has worked for a large corporation that gives its workers access to extremely valuable information and then pays them jack squat. It sucks to be given the responsibility of managing information worth huge sums of money, and be tossed a check every week that skims just over the minimum wage.
On the other hand, I'm sure they would be pretty pissed if it was their information that had gotten sold, in an age of identity theft and data mining it just isn't acceptable.
I guess it just ends up being a warning to big companies. Give your employees a reason to be loyal to you; you may not be willing / able to pay them well, but when people get desperate (read: when the economy sucks and you don't hand out pay raises), they'll look past the consequences, no matter how severe, at the opportunity to make the money that they feel they are owed.
Employers: Give your an employees a reason not to break the law! I'm sorry, being underpaid is no reason to do something like this. That's like justifying robbing a bank by saying you were poor and homeless.
Are you seriously trying to give them a pass?
--Capitalism-- If you don't like your job, go get another one. Staying in your job, underpaid, overworked, and committing crime for the previous 3 reasons borderlines is insane.
:rolls eyes: i hate when things like this are posted when its tmo UK. UK tmo, germany tmo, etc are separate entities and they dont share information and therefore tmo usa custys dont have to worry.
Sure, it may have been T-Mo UK grunt level employees who participated in this scandal, but the bigger question that is overlooked with this story is this:
1) Who were the carriers who were involved in purchasing this data from the brokers? Vodafone? O2?
When the UK Commissioner can find this out hell will break loose.