Vodaphone fined for privacy “failure”

According to the BBC:

Mobile phone giant Vodafone has been fined 76m euros ($100m; £51m) by a Greek privacy watchdog.

The Greek agency responsible for privacy said Vodafone had failed to protect its network from hackers who monitored 106 mobile accounts.

The accounts targeted included those of Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis as well as senior military officers and journalists.

[…]

Vodafone is planning an appeal after describing the punishment as “illegal, unfair and totally groundless”.

Many Greeks believe that the bugging of the prime minister, other politicians and senior military officers was carried out at the behest of the United States because it was concerned about security at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

“Failed to protect” is an interesting phrase. It hardly says they invited the hackers in, or were responsible for the wiretap. Instead it implies a lax or deficient response, which now begs the question of whether the Greek agency will tighten the privacy belt and outline new requirements?

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