UK network O2 has been the subject of some amazing internet fury today, after it emerged that the phone numbers of users were being injected into web headers when sites were accessed through mobile internet connections. This would allow web admins to access users’ numbers.

O2′s now confirmed that this was indeed happening, claiming, rather oddly, that this was an accidental extension of the network’s usual data sharing practise, which sees it routinely share phone numbers with “selected trusted partners” and is apparently an “industry standard.”

Here’s the full statement from O2, along with a lengthy technical Q&A at the bottom about the situation, which should help calm the angry Twitter mob.

O2 Mobile numbers and web browsing

Security is of the utmost importance to us and we take the protection of our customers’ data extremely seriously.

We have seen the report published this morning suggesting the potential for disclosure of customers’ mobile phone numbers to website owners.

We investigated, identified and fixed it this afternoon. We would like to apologise for the concern we have caused.

Below is a set of Q&As, to answer questions we’ve been receiving. If you have further questions, do leave them in the blog comments and we will do our best to answer as many as possible.

Q: What’s happened with O2 mobile numbers when I browse the internet on my mobile?

A: Every time you browse a website (via mobile or desktop), certain technical information about the machine you are using, is passed to website owners. This happens across the internet, and enables website owners to optimise the site you see. When you browse from an O2 mobile, we add the user’s mobile number to this technical information, but only with certain trusted partners. This is standard industry practice.

We share mobile numbers with selected trusted partners for 3 reasons:

1) to manage age verification, which manages access to adult content, 2) to enable third party content partners to bill for premium content such as downloads or ring tones that the customer has purchased 3) to identify customers using O2 services, such as My O2 and Priority Moments. This only happens over 3G and WAP data services, not WiFi.

Q: How long has this been happening?

A: In between the 10th of January and 1400 Wednesday 25th of January, in addition to the usual trusted partners, there has been the potential for disclosure of customers’ mobile phone numbers to further website owners.

Q: Has it been fixed?

A: Yes. It was fixed as of 1400 on Wednesday 25th January 2012.

Q: Which of my information can website owners access?

A: The only information websites had access to is your mobile number, which could not have been linked to any other identifying information we have about customers.

Q: Why did this happen?

A: Technical changes we implemented as part of routine maintenance had the unintended effect of making it possible in certain circumstances for website owners to see the mobile numbers of those browsing their site.

Q: Which customers were affected?

A: It affected customers accessing the internet via their mobile phone on 3G or WAP services, but not WIFI, between 10th of January and 1400 on Wednesday the 25th of January.

Q: Which websites do you normally share my mobile number with?

A: Only where absolutely required by trusted partners who work with us on age verification, premium content billing, such as for downloads, and O2′s own services, have access to these mobile numbers.

Q: The Information Commissioner said he is investigating – what are you doing as part of this?

A: We are in contact with the Information Commissioner’s office, and we will be co-operating fully. We have also contacted OFCOM.

No related posts.

Both Orange and T-Mobile are now selling the Acer Liquid Express, offering the 3.5″ NFC-enabled Android phone on a range of contracts. T-Mobile has the cheapest, where you can get the Liquid Express for “free” on a £10.21 monthly tariff.

You don’t get much communications power for that, though, just 100 calling minutes, 100 SMS messages and one of the network’s flexible boosters for mobile data. Orange is doing it for a bit more.

There’s a very odd promotional page on Acer’s site, if you’d like to read more about the phone and its NFC capabilities.

Link via SoMobile.

Related posts:

1. Acer Liquid Express now on Orange – from £20.50

Those of you who are waiting for Vodafone to start offering the Galaxy Nexus on contracts are going to be waiting quite some time, with the network telling its users that it’s still “testing” the software. Whatever that may mean.

Here’s what a Vodafone staff member posted on its forum yesterday:

We’re continuing to test the GALAXY Nexus software to ensure our customers get the best possible experience of the device.

We’ll provide concrete details on availability of the device once the testing process has been successfully completed.

How bizarre. Vodafone’s online man then posted another message saying that this delay wasn’t due to the addition of any Vodafone branding, as there won’t be any. Which is one good thing, at least…

…but not good news for those currently waiting to attempt an upgrade blag direct from the network.

No related posts.

Yet another ZTE model is about to get a UK launch with a quick respray and new logo on it, with T-Mobile UK today adding the T-Mobile Vivacity to its listings. The phone is a 3.5″ model that will arrive running Android 2.3, with a 5megapixel camera around the back. And it looks like that’s a front-facing camera sensor up the top there, too.

We don’t know much more than that, unless anyone can identify the original ZTE model name and number?

A quick Google search reveals a product listing over at Littlewoods of all places, where the Vivacity is going for a very reasonable £119 – although it’s not in stock at the moment, with dispatch scheduled for “four weeks” from now.

Related posts:

1. Vodafone Ireland lists Smart Tab 10 Android 3.2 tablet

Great news, fans of entirely unnecessary operator app stores! Vodafone has revealed the design of its forthcoming Vodafone AppSelect app store, which will offer buyers of Android phones through the network a “Curated catalogue” that “allows for easy app discovery by eliminating poor quality apps.”

Developers will submit their apps to Vodafone for approval, seeing as this is a curated collection of the best Android has to offer. Here it is, looking actually rather clean and pleasant:

Vodafone says AppSelect will arrive pre-loaded on Vodafone Android phones sold in the UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Ireland, Greece and the Netherlands. It’ll also integrate the previously announced carrier billing features, for bypassing Google Checkout and having app purchases billed direct to your mobile account.

No related posts.

The HTC Rhyme has now launched in the UK, with network O2 the first to start offering HTC’s latest Android phone. The phone, which is exclusive to O2 in the lovely “plum” colour, can be had on contracts starting as low as £13.50 per month, although that’s with a near-useless 50 calling minutes per month and 100MB of mobile data.

You’ll be best off fiddling with O2′s sweet package sliders yourself and working out a better plan than that.

The Rhyme’s main selling point is that it comes with HTC’s updated Sense user interface. Apart from that, it’s a pretty middle-of-the-road 3.7″ Android phone by today’s standards.

Link via SoMobile.

No related posts.

It looks like Samsung’s Galaxy Nexus is about to achieve the coveted FULL HOUSE of UK network support, with O2 the latest to add the hot new Android phone to its site. The 1.2GHz dual-core mobile will be launching through official O2 channels in November.

There are no dates, prices, plans, alternate back colours, cases, chargers or anything else announced as yet. But you can still register your interest on the site here to be told when it’s available for your blagging.

Looks a bit boring with the screen turned off, eh? If you’re suffering severe upgrade anxiety, just have a look at a big photo of it with the screen turned off. It’s just like any other phone, really.

No related posts.

The Orange Monte Carlo, which has completely failed to recreate the roaring success of last year’s Orange San Francisco, has had its price chopped by Orange – which is now selling it for £119 plus a compulsory £10 worth of calling credit.

For an Android 2.3 phone with a 4.3″ capacitive screen, that’s a rather ace price…

…although reviews of the Monte Carlo were a bit lukewarm, due to the phone arriving with a relatively slow processor onboard. Worth it for the larger screen, but not really enough of a jump to be really essential at its £150 launch price, was the usual conclusion. But for £130…

Link via MoDaCo.

No related posts.

Vodafone UK’s Data Test Drive is a new initiative to help its customers get to grips with their smartphones, which offers “new and upgrading” Vodafone users a three-month, unlimited data connection to see how much they hammer the network.

At the end of the three months, users are told how much data they’ve used – and contracts can then be reconfigured to best suit their particular data consumption. Here’s an unrelated low-res image of a man in a Vodafone shop:

The newly-launched Xperia Arc S is the first phone to feature the data trial. Read more about it over at http://vodafone.co.uk/testdrive. Here’s the thing about it from the network’s people:

DO WHATEVER YOU WANT WITH THE LATEST SMARTPHONE ON VODAFONE UK FOR THREE MONTHS AND FIND OUT WHAT DATA BUNDLE SUITS YOU BEST. SMART EH?

All new and upgrading customers on Vodafone UK can now use as much data as they like, for whatever they like, for three months. Vodafone’s ‘Data Test Drive’ is designed to give customers the confidence to experiment with their new phone on the UK’s best network, get to grips with its features and explore all the apps that are available for it.

Data Test Drive is available for pay monthly customers who choose any of Vodafone’s current range of more than 20 smartphones. The first new device to launch on Data Test Drive is the Sony Ericsson Xperia arc S, which was launched in the UK first by Vodafone yesterday (September 30). Data Test Drive will be available on all future smartphones and can also be enjoyed by enterprise customers on consumer price plans.

All a customer needs to do is pick the handset they want and the price plan they think suits their current needs. They are then free to play with their new smartphone, downloading and using apps, surfing the web, social networking, viewing maps, sending emails and even using it to connect other devices to the internet.

At the end of the three month period we’ll let the customer know exactly how much data they’ve used and whether the plan they have chosen suits their needs. If it doesn’t we’ll recommend some extra data and all the customer needs to do is text us back.

“The latest smartphones allow people to do more with their mobile phone than ever before. We want customers to really play with their new handset and Data Test Drive will give them the confidence to find the apps they love and features they will use regularly,” said Srini Gopalan, Consumer Director, Vodafone UK. “When you combine the freedom to experiment with your phone with the capability and reliability of the UK’s best network, you have a winning combination for any smartphone user.”

More information can be found at http://vodafone.co.uk/testdrive.

No related posts.

HTC’s latest Android phone will be coming to the Three network, with the operator today uploading a little teaser video of the thing in action. You don’t learn anything new about it, but you do get to see it in a man’s hand for sense-of-scale purposes.

It’s not that small. Here it is.

The phrase “funky, rubberised back covers” puts us off a little. The phone’s also appeared over at Vodafone.

No related posts.