Police assist Apple in search of man's home

Police assist Apple in search of man's home

www.cnn.com

Apple's team searched the home, car and computer files, while police waited outside, the reports say. The investigators reportedly told the man that they had traced the phone's GPS signal to his house. When asked, he said he had been at the same bar where the phone was reportedly lost but that he didn't have it, the report says.

(visit the link for the full news article)

I find this deplorable. Even if the police did not enter, Apple used the threat of the police state to perform a search of a private citizen. This is scary when the rights of a corporation exceed those of private citizens. This confirms my suspicions though of how the far left sees the marriage of corporate and government concerns. Who loses? The individual.

www.cnn.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

first i laughed, then i got your piont.

Isnt that illegal in some way? I mean home search warrant by law, is done by the law, right?

its odd, why did apple go in and do this? Why would they not go down to the police station show them the proof with the gps and what not? Then apple and the police could go down to the court house to get a search warrnt.
But what apple did was over step there athourity. Ya, they got the police to gaurd the house are whatever but I don't see that as the biggest problem.

For those curious as to what in God's name is going on:

A phone (presumably a prototype of the next iPhone) has gone missing and this man is an Apple Employee. From what I gather.

The fact of the matter is that this should be handled by a private security company - which would have better results, anyway.

The article also mentions a previous incident involving the iPhone 4 where the device went missing and was sold to Gizmundo - who had the corner market on the "first info."

This trend is only going to increase as review companies grow in revenue and competition from China increases. It is highly likely that the phone in question is having bids taken out on it as we speak by a number of interests that would simply love to have a prototype phone to muse over (for various reasons).

As I said - the involvement of the police - in a rather 'scandalous' manner, I might add - is a rather dangerous precedent to set. There are tons of private security companies that deal with corporate espionage. Their methods may not be entirely legal or respective of the "rights" of citizens - but when those companies step over the line, it is the police and government that should be there to enforce the rights of citizens. Putting the police in charge of investigating corporate espionage begins to establish a conflict of interests that simply need not be.

Originally posted by ararisq


I find this deplorable. Even if the police did not enter, Apple used the threat of the police state to perform a search of a private citizen. This is scary when the rights of a corporation exceed those of private citizens. This confirms my suspicions though of how the far left sees the marriage of corporate and government concerns. Who loses? The individual.

Strange.....

I see this as more of a right wing marriage of corp/govt. being as how the GOP always sides with the corporations over the individual.

www.onewisconsinnow.org...

I bet Apple did it on purpose. If an Apple employee is carrying a prototype around. It is going to be the center of his attention. Is he going to be talking about it and showing it off or just using it like any other phone. Why would you stupidly leave it somewhere. It just doesn't make any sense in my head. I think they are just creating some buzz for it. Remember the viral marketing schemes for movies like district 9. Well in my head this is just like that times 10.

So I guess this means Apple needs to go back to the drawing board and fix the glaringly obvious GPS mistake. It must not work.

The apple employees impersonated police officers and searched the home themselves which if course is illegal.
After this got out, they changed the story.

The whole thing stinks, Corporations are now running the police force. Do you think they would be doing that for any other lost phone?

The GPS doesnt need to work, Apple fanbois will buy the phone anyway.

Originally posted by ScRuFFy63
I bet Apple did it on purpose. If an Apple employee is carrying a prototype around. It is going to be the center of his attention. Is he going to be talking about it and showing it off or just using it like any other phone.

actually this could be crucial, if an employee is working on NDA signed research then in that NDA will be the right for apple to do what they like to you or your home to find it, i BET its in that contract somwhere.

We all know what apple is like with their EULA contracts.

reply to post by ScRuFFy63


Because this happened with the iPhone 4, and it did wonders for free advertising. Why not do it again?


Although, I have to admit, I'm really really hoping the rumors are true because I really need to replace my 3G, and don't want to buy a 4 if a "5" is coming out in a couple of months. My phone is my career wrapped up in a little shell...and that shell is slowly turning into a doorstop because it's so outdated. Keyword... Slow.

Originally posted by whaaa


Strange.....

I see this as more of a right wing marriage of corp/govt. being as how the GOP always sides with the corporations over the individual.

www.onewisconsinnow.org...

Except this is Apple. If you do not know, Apple donates almost exclusively to the left and for the longest time their supporters were nearly all leftists as well. This is also California. You can try to pin this on the TP, i would love to see how that logic would work. Its bad so its racist so it must be the TP?

I found an artist's rendering of the search in progress...

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/ff0729d43603.png[/atsimg]

reply to post by Doublemint

its odd, why did apple go in and do this? Why would they not go down to the police station show them the proof with the gps and what not? Then apple and the police could go down to the court house to get a search warrnt.

Because it's not effective. The government is horribly slow.

It's like if someone were to walk into your home and steal your stuff. In 90% of the cases, your stuff is gone and is never returned. People wouldn't steal if the police were effective at catching them. Why is this the case? Most of the time, your stuff is pawned off at 'underground' pawn shops and individuals within hours of being stolen. These people know where to take your stuff. It's long gone by time the police begin working on the report next morning.

This is why corporations don't bother much with the police when their prototypes and confidential projects go missing. They call in private security firms that work outside of the law to recover the property. Often, the actions taken are less than legal - homes and individuals searched/monitored without consent or warning, etc.

In this case, it seems Apple used some of their contacts in the police department to conceal their involvement. The people doing the searching were not Apple - and the police were merely 'escorts' for the Apple employees. It's a slight of hand that keeps everything unofficial but has the benefits of being able to apply a lot of pressure to someone.

But what apple did was over step there athourity. Ya, they got the police to gaurd the house are whatever but I don't see that as the biggest problem.

Where they screwed up was involving the police in the first place. It was a risky ploy and it backfired. Someone in the mix thought they knew a way to solve the problem and took it (likely exploiting their own contacts) - and is likely facing some stiff reprimand within the management chain. His/her actions exposed the missing product and gave credibility to any and every auction for such an item, notified more potential buyers, and alerted the culprit.

This is why they rely on services that you don't hear about very often.

Originally posted by whaaa

Originally posted by ararisq

This confirms my suspicions though of how the far left sees the marriage of corporate and government concerns. Who loses? The individual.

Strange.....

I see this as more of a right wing marriage of corp/govt. being as how the GOP always sides with the corporations over the individual.

www.onewisconsinnow.org...

I feel the same way, this seem more like a right wing corporate/Gov that they have been setting up since Reagan. How could anyone think of this as the left?!?

Originally posted by ararisq

Police assist Apple in search of man's home

www.cnn.com

Apple's team searched the home, car and computer files, while police waited outside, the reports say. The investigators reportedly told the man that they had traced the phone's GPS signal to his house. When asked, he said he had been at the same bar where the phone was reportedly lost but that he didn't have it, the report says.

(visit the link for the full news article)

I have read the article from cnn, in all honesty, whats wrong with it.
Nothing too wrong with trying to get back stolen docs or prototypes after all
it is stealing.

Originally posted by ararisq
You can try to pin this on the TP, i would love to see how that logic would work. Its bad so its racist so it must be the TP?

Well the Tea Party started out as a grass roots movement but was immediately taken over by the corporate think tanks. This is a right wing type move because it is very fascist and corporate boot licking.

Originally posted by Biigs

Originally posted by ScRuFFy63
I bet Apple did it on purpose. If an Apple employee is carrying a prototype around. It is going to be the center of his attention. Is he going to be talking about it and showing it off or just using it like any other phone.

actually this could be crucial, if an employee is working on NDA signed research then in that NDA will be the right for apple to do what they like to you or your home to find it, i BET its in that contract somwhere.

We all know what apple is like with their EULA contracts.

edit on 3-9-2011 by Biigs because: (no reason given)

An NDA doesnt override the laws of the land. neither does an EULA.
They just took the law into theirt own hands.

Originally posted by rigel4

I have read the article from cnn, in all honesty, whats wrong with it.
Nothing too wrong with trying to get back stolen docs or prototypes after all
it is stealing.

edit on 3-9-2011 by rigel4 because: (no reason given)

The man was innocent, how would you like a corporation to come and search your house by posing as the police?

It was 100% wrong.

Good, i can honestly say i like this. This type of shenanigans could bring us one step to the future we deserve were petty bureaucratic governments are eliminated and replaced with hyper efficient corporations who control our day to day lives. This is a good thing, society will evolve faster without pointless governments, we may aswel just be honest and cut out the middle man.

And im pretty sure if the police enterd to search the guys house on behalf of Apple people would still be lamenting a predictable tale of lost liberty.