Major phone tracking revelation in top cop’s assassination

[Hanno Labuschagne]

Major phone tracking revelation in top cop’s assassination

Crime intelligence officials and police officers knew that Lieutenant-Colonel Charl Kinnear’s phone was being tracked two weeks before his assassination.

Kinnear was murdered outside his home on 18 September, and the subsequent investigation revealed that cellular location-based services were used to plot this crime.

Wireless application service providers (WASPs) were given full access to subscribers’ sensitive location data in “good faith”, with the understanding that they will not abuse this data.

 

[i.got~issues]

Wireless application service providers (WASPs) were given full access to subscribers’ sensitive location data in “good faith”, with the understanding that they will not abuse this data.

WT absolute F!

Indefensible.

 

[jetlee]

if you think this is bad .. wait till the governments covid app is in full swing .. they couldnt protect data if their lives depended on it ..

 

[Mercury12]

if you think this is bad .. wait till the governments covid app is in full swing .. they couldnt protect data if their lives depended on it ..

If they can track your phone based on your network why would they need to use the covid app?

 

[Aghori]

The main reason that network providers gave away this ability and data is for money. They get paid for it.

 

[Easter Bunny]

WASPs are literally just doing what they want.

 

[capetownspur]

WT absolute F!

Indefensible.

How can this be legal and not violate the constitution? "Good faith", right, you mean "For Money", and lots of it.

 

[ShaunSA]

"good faith" Which fool believes that one?

Someone made money. Finish and klaar

 

[system32]

Vodacom & MTN executives are accomplices in murder of Colonel Charl Kinnear and should be charged accordingly - we will not rest until they go to jail.

 

[Aghori]

Vodacom & MTN executives are accomplices in murder of Colonel Charl Kinnear and should be charged accordingly - we will not rest until they go to jail.

In a perfect world, this will happen.
Not here in ZA unfortunately.

 

[borro]

Nothing will happen. Just dancing.

 

[LCBXX]

Install the Government's COVID-19 people; the app may not track you but MTN/Vodacom take tracking very seriously.

 

[CommonSense]

True, this access was provided by MTN and Vodacom for a fee, without proof that the WASP has got the users consent.

There needs to be serious consequences for MTN and Vodacom. It is indefensible.

And my gut feeling says that MTN will quietly restore the access once all this "blows over". Money trumps everything.

 

[MrGray]

This goes way beyond the normal "oh sorry, our bad, won't do it again" rap on the knuckle type thing. IMHO this should be treated as a criminal matter and all those involved in both providing the data as well as abusing it should be prosecuted.

 

[Arthur]

Vodacom & MTN executives are accomplices in murder of Colonel Charl Kinnear and should be charged accordingly - we will not rest until they go to jail.

I understand you feel strongly about this, but the notion that they're accomplices to murder is groundless at law and in ethics. To be accomplices it has to be established that they had criminal intent. They patently did not. Providing some sort of means or assistance to a criminal without mens rea does not mean being an accomplice ~ for example, were a criminal to take an Uber to her victim's location one can't just aver that Uber are an accomplice. It's a very different matter if the criminal were to disclose that she was about to commit a serious crime.

 

[system32]

I understand you feel strongly about this, but the notion that they're accomplices to murder is groundless at law and in ethics. To be accomplices it has to be established that they had criminal intent. They patently did not. Providing some sort of means or assistance to a criminal without mens rea does not mean being an accomplice ~ for example, were a criminal to take an Uber to her victim's location one can't just aver that Uber are an accomplice. It's a very different matter if the criminal were to disclose that she was about to commit a serious crime.

The Uber comparison is not equal.

They purposely gave access to location data knowing full well that the data could be used to track people illegally.
They are complicit in illegal activities which lead to a murder.
Any reasonable person would have known that that this was possible and highly probable.

If they thought that they had done nothing wrong, why they sudden blocking of access?

 

[Thor]

No consequences

 

[rorz0r]

Wireless application service providers (WASPs) were given full access to subscribers’ sensitive location data in “good faith”, with the understanding that they will not abuse this data.

MTN spokesperson Jacqui O’Sullivan told MyBroadband they will not tolerate WASPs or any service provider putting the privacy of their customers at risk.

Isn't "putting the privacy of your customer data at risk" EXACTLY what you've been doing all along?


1) Why isn't vodacom saying how many wasps/others have access?
2) Under POPI wouldn't you be entitled to request the data as well as a list of those with access?

 

[Arthur]

The Uber comparison is not equal.

They purposely gave access to location data knowing full well that the data could be used to track people illegally.
They are complicit in illegal activities which lead to a murder.
Any reasonable person would have known that that this was possible and highly probable.

If they thought that they had done nothing wrong, why they sudden blocking of access?

Your argument holds no water at law, thankfully. The reasonable person test applies to aquilian actions in delict, not criminal matters.

 

[system32]

Your argument holds no water at law, thankfully. The reasonable person test applies to aquilian actions in delict, not criminal matters.

So you stating that even after a person is murdered because of negligence (greed) MTN & Vodacom are not liable?