AfterDawn: News

iPhone app developer sued for 'stealing' user's numbers

The iPhone App developer Storm8 has been sued this week by Michael Turner, who claims that the developer is 'stealing' user's phone numbers, a clear violation of the federal Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.

The class action suit is on behalf of all who have purchased apps from Storm8 and have had their phone number "phoned home" by the apps.



Storm8 admits to collecting the numbers but has called it a glitch in their source code. They also say the problem has since been corrected. In his suit, Turner says "glitches" would never lead to the collection of phone numbers and that the developer created specialized code in their games to do so.

The developer has yet to respond to any questions about how a bug in code can lead to phone number collection and has not publicly spoken about whether the numbers remained saved in Storm8 databases.

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 7 Nov 2009 17:18

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• 11 comments

• cdman2005

  ok so what do they plan on doing with the numbers?

  7.11.2009 18:38 #1

• Ryoohki

  sell them to telemarketer services? a good majority of people don't put their cellphone numbers on the national do not call registry thinking they are safe because their numbers are unlisted. telemarketers can call cellphones if the number is provided (i.e. sold) to them.

  7.11.2009 21:07 #2

• strykertc

  I've never had a telemarketer call my cell phone. Home phone, yes...cell phone, no. Simply because it's illegal. Do your research before you comment, Ryoohki.
  
  http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2007/02/dnccellphones.shtm
  

  Proud member of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team 2003-2006.

  7.11.2009 22:48 #3

• DDR4life

  Originally posted by strykertc: I've never had a telemarketer call my cell phone. Home phone, yes...cell phone, no. Simply because it's illegal. Do your research before you comment, Ryoohki.
  
  http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2007/02/dnccellphones.shtmIf you have never had telemarketers call your cell, well then lucky you. I, unfortunately, have had numerous calls from telemarketers on my cell as well as my landline. Despite having them registered on the Do Not Call Registry. Hell, some telemarketer called me a couple of months ago and when I informed him the number he had called was registered and requested it be removed, he actually told me that the government was going to discontinue the DNC registry so he was perfectly at liberty to call any number. Personally, I don't think telemarketers care one way or the other. If they get your number (cell or home) they're going to call.

  8.11.2009 04:05 #4

• burnin1

  Ya ive also had tele marketers call me on my cell phone, several times.

  8.11.2009 14:06 #5

• strykertc

  Maybe I should have not been so blunt. I tend to do that sometimes...
  
  What I should have added was that if you are getting phone calls on your cell, it's illegal and there are things you can do about it.
  
  I wasn't illustrating that no telemarketer in the history of telemarketing has ever called a cell phone.
  
  However it is illegal, and there are agencies that protect cell phone
  users such as the FTC.2
  
  As far as the DNC registry being discontinued, I could not find one thing that supports that. It's really not that old! The FCC just made it permanent in 2008! Check the links below.
  
  But, of course, he would tell you that BS after the fact he knew what he was doing was illegal.
  
  ...if he were so confident that he was in the right, I would have asked for any and all information concerning his company so as to file a report with the FTC and FCC... and told him I were doing so. I highly doubt you'd be getting a call on your cell from that company ever again...
  

  Proud member of the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team 2003-2006.

  8.11.2009 17:04 #6

• strykertc

  ...you can go here and find all the info you need on consumer protection and how the complaint process works...
  
  http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/donotcall/
  
  ...or
  
  http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/tcpa.html

  8.11.2009 17:08 #7

• Xplorer4

  Originally posted by strykertc: I've never had a telemarketer call my cell phone. Home phone, yes...cell phone, no. Simply because it's illegal. Do your research before you comment, Ryoohki.
  
  http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2007/02/dnccellphones.shtm
  Your citing a 2007 source thats nearly 3 years old? Sadly it is not the case now(or starting soon) as companies are now being forced to put there company cell numbers on the do not call list. If you dont believe me then check some more recent news.

  9.11.2009 23:59 #8

• strykertc

  You comment negates the fact that there are laws still in place that protect consumers, and that was my point.
  
  Your vast knowledge of the subject would venture me to ask where you get your latest updates from. If you can supply a newer citing on the subject supporting different, I'd like to read it.

  10.11.2009 00:27 #9

• Dudge669

  Companies can bypass the do not call list and call you if they have prior business with you. If you have ordered something from a company, if you have called THEM asking for information or to order something, etc. If they have prior business, they are allowed to call you. They do have to have some way for you to request that your number be removed, however.

  12.11.2009 12:13 #10

• leglessoz

  Originally posted by strykertc: I've never had a telemarketer call my cell phone. Home phone, yes...cell phone, no. Simply because it's illegal. Do your research before you comment, Ryoohki.
  
  http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2007/02/dnccellphones.shtmOnce again someone assumes that the USofA is the only country in the world that matters or that has mobile (cellular) phones. It might be illegal there, but it is not illegal in Australia and I suspect many other places.

  15.11.2009 07:53 #11