Skip to Content

Charges Filed in 2010 AT&T iPad Security Breach That Revealed Personal Information

101912 valleywag ipad personal data

Reuters reports that U.S. prosecutors have filed criminal charges against two people involved in an AT&T security breach last year that saw email addresses and SIM identifiers for close to 120,000 U.S. iPad + 3G users exposed.

U.S. prosecutors filed criminal charges against two people accused of stealing the email addresses and other personal data of about 120,000 users of Apple Inc's (AAPL.O) iPad tablet computer.

Daniel Spitler and Andrew Auernheimer were each charged with one count of fraud and one count of conspiracy to access a computer without authorization, prosecutors said.

The FBI has been investigating the situation over the past seven months, and authorities have apparently now finally gathered enough evidence to charge those claimed to have accessed and shared the information. A press conference is reportedly scheduled for this afternoon to allow prosecutors and the FBI to discuss the case.

Auernheimer had previously argued that he had done nothing wrong, simply accessing information made freely available on AT&T's site due to improper security controls. Questions remained, however, about what was done with the information and why he had shared the details of the breach and the harvested information with Valleywag rather than going straight to AT&T.

Popular Stories

Apple Event Logo

Apple Released Seven New Products Today

Wednesday March 11, 2026 7:05 am PDT by
Starting today, the seven new Apple products that were announced last week are available at Apple Stores and beginning to arrive to customers. The colorful MacBook Neo and all of the other new products are on display at most Apple Store locations around the world starting today. Apple Stores have inventory of the new products for both walk-in customers and Apple Store pickup, but...
iOS 27 Mock Quick

10+ New Features Coming in iOS 27

Friday March 13, 2026 2:13 pm PDT by
We're only three months away from Apple's WWDC 2026 event, which will see the company unveil iOS 27. With the fully revamped version of Siri possibly delayed until September, iOS 27 is shaping up to be the update we wanted iOS 26 to be. There will be new Apple Intelligence features, updates for the iPhone Fold, and more, with the latest rumors summarized below. Foldable iPhone Features...
Apple 50 Years of Thinking Different

Apple Announces 50th Anniversary Plans

Thursday March 12, 2026 6:10 am PDT by
Apple today announced that it will celebrate the company's 50th anniversary over the coming weeks, but it has yet to reveal any specific plans. Apple was founded on April 1, 1976, so the company will turn 50 on April 1, 2026. "While Apple is known for looking forward, this milestone offers a special moment to reflect on the journey that has brought the company here, to celebrate the...