Pair charged over iPad hacking

Two men have been charged in the United States over a hacking attempt that saw the pair release the names and email addresses of over 100,000 iPad users.

The leak occurred shortly after the iPad’s release and damaged Apple’s reputation as it attempted to market an entirely new product. Several celebrities and politicians’ details were included in the leak.

Reuters has reported Daniel Spitler and Andrew Auernheimer were taken into custody by FBI agents this week.

“Hacking is not a competitive sport, and security breaches are not a game,” New Jersey attorney Paul Fishman said in a statement.

“Companies that are hacked can suffer significant losses, and their customers made vulnerable to other crimes, privacy violations and unwanted contact.”

Both men have been charged with fraud and conspiracy to access a computer without authorisation.