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Apple Says Jailbreaking Aids Drug Dealers, Catastrophic CyberAttacks

Apple Says Jailbreaking Aids Drug Dealers, Catastrophic CyberAttacks

Posted July 28, 2009 at 8:51pm by iClarified
Apple is making preposterous claims in its effort to prevent jailbreaking from becoming a legally acceptable practice.

Security researcher Christopher Soghoian reports that in a recent filing with the copyright office, "Apple has argued that consumers who wish to jailbreak their mobile phones and change the device's unique serial number must be drug dealers or other criminals."

[E]ach iPhone contains a unique Exclusive Chip Identification (ECID) number that identifies the phone to the cell tower. With access to the BBP via jailbreaking, hackers may be able to change the ECID, which in turn can enable phone calls to be made anonymously (this would be desirable to drug dealers, for example) or charges for the calls to be avoided.


Wired.com has also found some more ridiculous accusations in which Apple suggests jailbroken iPhones would be used to cause catastrophic damage to cellular networks.

“a local or international hacker could potentially initiate commands (such as a denial of service attack) that could crash the tower software, rendering the tower entirely inoperable to process calls or transmit data,”

“Taking control of the BBP software would be much the equivalent of getting inside the firewall of a corporate computer — to potentially catastrophic result."

“The technological protection measures were designed into the iPhone precisely to prevent these kinds of pernicious activities, and if granted, the jailbreaking exemption would open the door to them.”


Fred von Lohmann, is an attorney for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a group founded to protect the rights of individuals. He notes that there are over a million jailbroken iPhones and this has never happened.

Apple's argument would make open source platforms such as Android a menace to society as well. Saying that a jailbroken iPhone should be illegal because its possible to do something illegal with it sounds like a very weak defense.

You can read more about the EFF's case against Apple here

Apple Says Jailbreaking Aids Drug Dealers, Catastrophic CyberAttacks
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Comments (20)
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mz
mz - August 1, 2009 at 7:14pm
If you guys thought this was nonsense, check out this article called "Apple Posts Anti-Jailbreak Support Document." its ridiculous. https://iclarified.com/4710
S_Warrior
S_Warrior - July 29, 2009 at 11:50am
Pathetic!!! C'mom Apple, get your act together!!!
promi
promi - July 29, 2009 at 10:38am
LOL!! apple is hilarious. THAT's THE LAMEST EXCUSE I HAVE EVER HEARD OF!
Mes
Mes - July 29, 2009 at 9:27am
It's obvious. Apple is running out of ammunition. So it's time to spew garbage and hope a few right-wingers will believe it. It the truth doesn't work, then lie..
ricekake
ricekake - July 29, 2009 at 9:21am
Im not really sure if Im mad being called a drug dealer, but I think Apple is the drug dealer. I am insulted though. I mean they bring out a $600 phone and put it on the slowest network to start. Then they bring out a new version of the phone on 3g For $600 that is still missing the features that an $80 pay as you go phone already has, then you bring out another version of the phone for another $600 that adds a couple more trinkets that every cheaper phone can already do and then stick it to us by saying oh...you cant have MMS until late summer. I would say youre the drug dealer playing off our devotion and loyalty to your products. I feel stupid for even recommending it now. Im the drug dealer? I just bought a smartphone that cant even send or receive a MMS. Well, at least I have a nifty compass. I just ordered my HTC Hero, so good bye Apple.
Rob
Rob - July 29, 2009 at 7:48am
Thank you VERY F*CKING much Apple, for calling me a drugdealer!
feje75
feje75 - July 29, 2009 at 6:16am
I have had my 2G jailbroken since it jailbreaking has began. I didn't shut down AT&T networks when i used Ziphone to jailbreak or when i switch over to Quickpwn. I'm now living in Bahrain on a different network (Zain) and it hasn't shut down either.
Enrico
Enrico - July 29, 2009 at 4:19am
I was already upset that Apple killed the Google Voice and GV Mobile Apps.. Now this. I'm tired of being a caged hamster with such an expensive device. I'm ready to look to BlackBerry or the Google Android (HTC), etc.
Marko
Marko - July 29, 2009 at 4:18am
What this really shows is Apple's ignorance and whoever within Apple decided on releasing this statement / filing this document should be fired for the good of the company. The biggest piece of corporate crap I've ever heard. I hope the wider field of journalists pick up on this statement by Apple and broadcast it to the world. That will cause them substantial embarrassment. If drug dealers wanted to do this they do it with who ever's technology. They'd probably buy in the skills / hardware, rather than take several hours off their chosen medicine to come back into the real world to understand how to it themselves! Nice of Apple to publicize the weakness in their architecture so openly. I never knew this.
Kev
Kev - July 29, 2009 at 4:00am
So as I see it APPLE are aiding these so called activities by not opening up the iPhone .. there would be no need to then jailbrak it and Hence no need for the software to jailbreak it
Palo
Palo - July 29, 2009 at 2:09am
This type of behavior that apple shows in last period persuaded me to stop using MobileMe services and move to Google or Windows Live. Both Google and Microsoft shows the corporate arrogance from time to time but none of them is accusing me from being a drug dealer.
b
b - July 29, 2009 at 1:25am
iphones don't hack people. people hack people
Jay
Jay - July 29, 2009 at 10:17am
Guns dont kill people. Husbands that come home early from work do.
Jay
Jay - July 28, 2009 at 10:45pm
I shouldn't have a car then cause I might do something illegal with it. Nor my gun, laptop, fishing poles, windex..... I shouldnt have anything because I could do something illegal with every thing I own....
Jethro
Jethro - July 28, 2009 at 11:44pm
Haha right on!!
Simo
Simo - July 28, 2009 at 9:20pm
ah bless 'em! They have to 'appear' to be bothered about upsetting AT&T dont they!
Scott
Scott - July 28, 2009 at 9:13pm
The drug dealers have a pot themed winterboard.
Dave
Dave - July 28, 2009 at 8:35pm
LOL! Yeah... That's why I jailbreak my phone... Has nothing to do with the fact that I can actually send/receive mms, or change the appearance of my phone, or actually record video on my 2G. Maybe if apple would actually allow these things, like you can do in a phone that is 7 years old, they wouldn't have to worry about people jailbreaking their iphones (which is very much legal) and these "drug dealers" won't be able to do this... LOL apple's fault imo.
10100111001
10100111001 - July 28, 2009 at 9:04pm
lol is right. i agrree completly i use jailbeaking to access the customisation features also a dn to enable mms/video/winterboard on my device jaibreaking makes your phone unique just like customising a bike or a car soit says me not that t looks like everyone elses and drug dealers dont use cellphones with contract lines they juss buy disposable pay as you go phone with no paper trail come on doesnt anyone watch CSI lol apple needs to calm down and stop denyng developers apps so they dont resort to selling on cydia and stuff
Dave
Dave - July 28, 2009 at 11:13pm
ur name is 1337!
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