'Rotten Apples' Kicked out of Barrel

If you get this message when you access the App Store or iTunes: “This Apple (News - Alert) ID has been disabled for security reasons,” you’ve been a bad boy.

 

According to industry observer X1Zero, “in its most aggressive move yet to thwart jailbreakers and hackers, Apple seems to have begun banning Apple ID’s of offenders.”

 

The new tough line might backfire: “I jailbroke my iPhone (News - Alert) for the sole purpose of unlocking it, if Apple intends to block every jailbreaker. They should at least sell unlocked iPhones,” commented Sharmarke. “If I get my apple I’d blocked I will just switch to a blackberry :D”

 

Speed2bump agreed: “the only reason why I got the iPhone is because I was intending to jail brake it… most important is that it is MY device, I should be able to do what I please with it, as I have paid through the nose for it.”

 

Late last week, according to X1Zero, “it was reported that a possible unlock had been found for firmware 3.1.3 by iPhone hacker Sherif Hashim. A few days later, his Apple ID was disabled with the message above being displayed when attempting to use the App Store or iTunes.”

Nosnoop posted a comment on the article noting that “Something does not sound right. First, iTunes uses your email address as Apple ID, not your alias. So do you mean Apple has gone through the trouble of digging up their email address?” 

Nosnoop then noted that “iTunes has had a recent flood of hacked accounts. Some suspected that many IDs/Password were stolen, rather than accounts hacked individually. These accounts may have been disabled for other “security reasons.”

 

Disabled Apple ID’s “do not seem to be affecting every user that jailbreaks their iPhone, but it is interesting to ponder how far Apple may take this,” X1Zero muses aloud.

 

Perceptive commenter Tim wrote: “ I’m not sure I understand the reasoning for this. The hackers are denied access to the App store and iTunes so they have no possibility of ever buying apps and songs? It doesn’t seem to stop them from jailbreaking.”

 

Apple might want to rethink this before incurring yet more wrath. The last thing you want is a hacked-off hacker.