Jerusalem – IT Security Expert Finds Loophole That Allows Scofflaw Haredi Smartphone Users To Be Detected

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    FILE - An ultra Orthodox Jewish man uses his cellular phone along a street in Bnei Brak, near Tel Aviv May 3, 2011.  ReutersJerusalem – An IT security expert has found a security loophole in the Orange cellular phone system that allows for the detection of scofflaw Haredis who are using smartphones despite a prohibition within parts of the ultra-Orthodox community.

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    HAARETZ.com (http://bit.ly/1h7G2xb) reports that according to Amitai Dan, as long as he has a phone number, the loophole allowed him to access the personal information on smartphone or mobile device’s user.

    According to Dan, The Orange – portalXml Web Service permits anyone with access to conduct identity searches by phone numbers.

    Reps for Orange have remained tight-lipped about the subject, but have since restricted usage on the site to only those with a “special” usernames and logins.

    The use of smartphones has been condemned by many leading ultra-Orthodox leaders, including Lithuanian Haredi Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky, who in the past not only banned smartphone users from witnessing religious ceremonies, but at one point called for the burning of iPhones.


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    12 Comments
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    Gum-Zu-Lechumra
    Gum-Zu-Lechumra
    9 years ago

    Its about time they caught the scoundrels. Now they have to figure out how to get the prepaid cellphones that are destroying our commumity

    Nobody
    Nobody
    9 years ago

    So the only security problem about being able to identify people from random phone numbers is that Hareidim can be discovered to have one?

    lazerx
    lazerx
    9 years ago

    Although we are lead to believe that ALL of the rabonim asur the use of smartphones, it is not the case. There are plenty of rabbonim who don’t want to get involved in mudslinging and don’t want their names public yet they say if you need one it is ok.

    It is the newspapers and special interest groups that want to forbid the smartphones. So anyone who doesn’t agree with them is a ‘ba’al averia’ and any rav who disagrees is considered not chashuv and his da’at is butil.

    but as one rav said, it is not the device that is asur (the chafitz) rather what the person does with it (the gavrah) who can use it for issur or mutar.

    Mellie
    Mellie
    9 years ago

    Frankly, I don’t understand the assuring of smartphones by some rabbis. Personally, I was showing my smartphone to an elderly person who didn’t know what it was – and realized that almost all of my usage were Jewish apps, including this one. For example, I have both a siddur and tehillim, a Megillas Esther, the Chanuka brachas, two kosher GPS apps, which include the location of kosher restaurants, shuls, mikvahs, and lists of hashgachas. I have Jewish music on my radio app. Also: an OK vegetable guide….how to wash veggies and fruits. Shabbos times, including the weekly parshah. I have the entire Tenach, which is SUNG. KOTEL video in real time, including the ability to put messages in the Wall. The Omer app. Pirkei Avos. Searching for chometz app. Various Jewish newspapers.
    My husband has an iPad with the entire Gemorrah, which he uses for learning during the week, instead of shlepping heavy tomes.
    In addition, I have practical apps, like my bank app, the navigation so I dont get lost, a tracker for my husband and children so I don’t worry where they are, not to mention the phone and email. The alarm clock. Camera….one no longer needs a camera. A calculator. A note pad. Reminders. The calendar. A compass so I can tell which direction to daven. Also weather apps.
    These are helpful and useful.
    I just don’t see the problem. If someone intends to do some aveiras, they are going to do them regardless of using smartphones. Just IMO.

    BarryLS1
    BarryLS1
    9 years ago

    This is almost as nuts as the kosher for Pesach Enema ad I saw yesterday. Does anyone have any seichel anymore. Forget self control, I guess that no longer is required. Just assur everything. What’s next, breathing?

    savtat
    savtat
    9 years ago

    Technologies evolve and we need self control and seichel to use them properly. If someone is looking for trouble, he only has to use his imagination.

    TexasJew
    TexasJew
    9 years ago

    Just because a store sells non kosher food doesn’t mean I can’t go in and get my kosher food. Same with the smart phone.
    Wake up Rabbi Chumra. We live in the 21st century. We finally have devices that helps make life a little simpler.

    charliehall
    charliehall
    9 years ago

    This is another example of the charedim surrendering to the modern. Rabbi Shlomo Aviner responds to shilas by SMS text message, and even publishes the responsa online! The charedim will lose the battle for the hearts and minds of Jews as they become more and more irrelevant.