lynnfredricks.com » Identity Protection http://www.lynnfredricks.com The Technology Tribe Mon, 26 Jul 2010 17:32:08 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 The Apple iPhone, Social Security Numbers and Identity Theft http://www.lynnfredricks.com/2007/07/05/the-apple-iphone-social-security-numbers-and-identity-theft/ http://www.lynnfredricks.com/2007/07/05/the-apple-iphone-social-security-numbers-and-identity-theft/#comments Thu, 05 Jul 2007 18:21:29 +0000 Lynn Fredricks http://www.lynnfredricks.com/2007/07/05/the-apple-iphone-social-security-numbers-and-identity-theft/ I visited the Washington Square Mall Apple Store on 4th of July and had an opportunity to join a small crowd of people playing with the iPhone. Two things struck me about the iPhone – how bright and beautiful the screen is compared to so many Windows Mobile based phones, and how dependent the iPhone is on third party services such as You Tube and Google Maps to give it additional value. I did not find the interface to Google Maps as helpful or usable as I would have liked, given how slow the input method is. But Im sure a third party will come up with a small, full keyboard to supplement inputting addresses that wouldn’t otherwise be available by whatever synchronization method is used. I almost never buy first generation hardware but the iPhone gives every indication of not being just another first generation product.

What I find distressing as reported on AppleInsider and reiterated on Michael Tiemann’s blog on Cnet is the requirement of providing a Social Security Number to activate your iPhone. Mr Tiemann’s argument seems to be based around concerns of concealing identity from Big Government. For the very opposite reason, I find this distressing – identity theft resulting from negligence of private sector handling of personal data. There is no reason why Apple or AT&T should have access to your social security number when there is available alternatives of identification issued by every US state.

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