The seamy side of the public's fascination with President-elect Barack Obama was revealed late Thursday when Verizon Wireless said that some of its employees had viewed Obama's cellphone records without authorization. The breach could have major implications for the telecom industry--even more than for Obama.
In a public statement, Verizon
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) accepted responsibility while carefully noting that the exposed information was limited to phone numbers and calling patterns. The account in question was linked to a "simple voice flip-phone," rather than a BlackBerry-like device, and has been inactive for several months, said the company. Employees who accessed the records have been placed on paid leave while Verizon investigates the matter.
Customers' misgivings could damage Verizon's reputation as a service-oriented company. In a statement about the breach, the company vowed to "…work to keep the trust our customers place in us every day."
