Federal Trade Commission Chairman Jon Leibowitz said Thursday that wireless operators should require their customers to use a password to access the voicemail on their mobile phones. The problem for Leibowitz, as he was quick to note, is that his agency has no jurisdiction over wireless carriers.
The issue of cell phone security has gained new attention because of the cell phone hacking scandal involving Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. Reporters at some of the company’s British publications have been accused of hacking into the cell phone voicemail of celebrities, politicians and even crime victims.