The FBI is denying allegations by AntiSec, a group affiliated with the hacktivist collective Anonymous, that it is tracking Apple users.
AntiSec, which — along with LulzSec, another Anonymous affiliate — claimed much of the credit for the wave of cyber attacks on banks, governments and private companies throughout the course of 2011, said Tuesday it had obtained 12 million unique Apple user IDs from a stolen FBI computer in March.
The group allegedly released 1 million of the IDs, called unique device identifiers, or UDIDs. They allow software developers special access to personal information associated with a particular digital device. AntiSec alleged that the FBI was using the information to track Apple users.
The “antisec” movement, from which AntiSec derives its name, is opposed to the computer security industry, which it believes exploits users’ personal information for profit.
Slate reported that the AntiSec leak may have been retaliation for the alleged laptop owner’s attempts to recruit hackers to work for the federal government.
The FBI, while acknowledging that such news has been reported, is making no acknowledgement of its truthfulness or falsity.
“At this time, there is no evidence indicating that an FBI laptop was compromised or that the FBI either sought or obtained this data,” said the FBI in a statement.