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Just read article in depth and found two more significant "features". First one - database build by AT&T can identify if target individual uses multiple phones
by TrainedMonkey 13y ago
Just read article in depth and found two more significant "features". First one - database build by AT&T can identify if target individual uses multiple phones (So if say I was engineer Joe and wanted to get sell private cell number(s) for Angelina Jolie how much would you pay?). Second - they can identify if you switched to a new number. Even if you threw out your phone. (So speaking of numbers, how much would you pay for a yearly subscription previously offered 'product'). Seriously if AT&T doing this, there is no reason to believe that other providers do not.
- metageek 13y ago>Seriously if AT&T doing this, there is no reason to believe that other providers do not. The article says AT&T has the data for any telco that uses AT&T switches. This is a little odd, given that the company currently known as AT&T is not the same company that used to manufacture switches; but, if this has been going on for 26 years, I suppose the government would have insisted it continue across corporate splits and mergers.
- dragonwriter 13y agoIIRC, lots of other companies selling telecom use AT&T infrastructure (infrastructure owned by AT&T now, not infrastructure built by a different company called AT&T in the past.) There are a much greater number of companies that you can buy local and long-distance service from than companies that actually operate the physical infrastructure. I suspect that current infrastructure is the "AT&T switches" that are relevant here.
- metageek 13y agoThat makes more sense, thanks.