Vodacom and MTN location-based data linked to assassination scandal

[rpm]

Vodacom and MTN data linked to assassination scandal

Sensitive personal information provided by Vodacom and MTN were used in the assassination of top cop Charl Kinnear.

 

[mathenges]

Evil

 

[Wall]

I'd love for Jannie to come here and defend this.

 

[Scorpion101]

I seriously hope the family of the deceased police officer sues these idiots. His blood is on there hands as well. That sort of data should only be issued when a proper court order is issued.

 

[Thor]

Absolutely no doubt terrorist organisations like the ANC have access to this and use it to silence rivals.

 

[ghoti]

Cant believe the data they give to wasps. No one wants wasps or their services, please stop this.

 

[rpm]

What surprises me is that rogue WASPs have been abusing Vodacom and MTN’s systems for years. They know about it. But despite this, they still put the controls in the WASPs hands.

The big question is – what other subscriber data is available to WASPs without people’s knowledge? What else is sold to third parties?

 

[Johnatan56]

What surprises me is that rogue WASPs have been abusing Vodacom and MTN’s systems for years. They know about it. But despite this, they still put the controls in the WASPs hands.

The big question is – what other subscriber data is available to WASPs without people’s knowledge? What else is sold to third parties?

There is also a lot of fraud in Vodacom and MTN's internal systems, not just WASP.

 

[Stokstert]

Elementary tracking apps like Life360 can be downloaded from the Google Pay Store and loaded on a victim's cell phone. Other car trackers are available from online stores.

 

[Eric]

Cant believe the data they give to wasps. No one wants wasps or their services, please stop this.

So if you were paranoid, what would the answer be?
Quit the mobile rat race and use mobile VOIP over WiFi and use voicemail / return calls?

 

[quovadis]

Elementary tracking apps like Life360 can be downloaded from the Google Pay Store and loaded on a victim's cell phone. Other car trackers are available from online stores.

There is a massive difference between an application installed on a phone on purpose or via nefarious means and the triangulation data of the location of any SIM card on Vodacom or MTNs networks. In this case it’s become obvious that Vodacom and MTN have allowed third parties access to this data and in turn they have handed it over to someone else by misrepresentation or without concern. So basically if you are a wasp or able to convince a wasp to do so they can locate you whenever they want within meters.

 

[quovadis]

So if you were paranoid, what would the answer be?
Quit the mobile rat race and use mobile VOIP over WiFi and use voicemail / return calls?

Its not paranoia it’s privacy concerns. Why can a third party service provider simply access you or my location because we use cell phones? Come on.

 

[blunt]

there should be a double opt in for this kind of service. by the sounds of it they have a "gentleman's agreement" and from a technical perspective these service providers can simply access anyones location.

 

[RonSwanson]

What surprises me is that rogue WASPs have been abusing Vodacom and MTN’s systems for years. They know about it. But despite this, they still put the controls in the WASPs hands.

The big question is – what other subscriber data is available to WASPs without people’s knowledge? What else is sold to third parties?

Good question, but we are getting nowhere when we accept responses like this:

MTN could not explain why its WASP partners abused their system to track users without their consent.

What a pile of bullshitt

Vodacom also said in terms of contractual partnership agreements, users must give consent to be tracked.
In this instance, however, a partner allowed its service providers to bypass the controls.
Vodacom said while it is technically possible for WASPs to bypass Vodacom’s controls, it “would be irresponsible to suggest widespread abuse of the system”.

This is also a pile, so limp wristed, poor Vodacom is the victim

 

[Gordon_R]

It sounds like the internet prior to the first viruses and hackers. We had no idea that bad people would misuse the loopholes in our system. /sarcasm

 

[hj007]

You can spoof your location for the likes of Android location data, no similar solution for cells? Maybe all those government ministers that used to take out their cellphone batteries before meetings weren't so stupid after all.

 

[Milano]

Would be interesting to know exactly how much blood is on their hands. They claim they never knew. Yet they 'know' it is not heavily abused. These are the types of contradictory answers that criminal cartels would give.

 

[Easter Bunny]

what's that? south african corporations giving away all access to our data and it being leaked online/misused for crime again? oh well, there's nothing anyone can do about it, so we'll just have to put up with it. can't stop the banks or cell companies.

 

[r00igev@@r]

They should each be fined R50 billion.

 

[Rocket-Boy]

What surprises me is that rogue WASPs have been abusing Vodacom and MTN’s systems for years. They know about it. But despite this, they still put the controls in the WASPs hands.

The big question is – what other subscriber data is available to WASPs without people’s knowledge? What else is sold to third parties?

Yup, the WASP abuse is allowed to continue because it generates a lot of revenue. The networks, regardless of what they tell you, are happy to let WASP's steal your money because they get a cut.
The big question is definitely a big question, it would be interesting to know what all they can see and why they are allowed to both gather and sell it on to 3rd parties.
It also looks like the 3rd parties then provide access to their own partners so the list grows substantially.