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> It cost money to implement security.

Yes, but no amount of money will stop the data in a big database being stolen by someone sufficiently motivated to steal it. It's just bits on someone's disk.

The only true solution is to not create the database. But then what would all the data scientists and their MBA masters so with their time?

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in this case it’s pretty tough because the phone company does need this metadata just to bill people. so they should protect it properly.

I don't see a reason as to recording who contacted who. If it's for billing, just record duration, if they're not an 'unlimited' customer and flags on whether it'd incur extra charges (i.e roaming, international call)

This is the kind of information that the end user may want.

OTOH this could be an opt in decision with a warning on the consequences

Its a interesting issue, its kinda of like software piracy, so what if someone steals the product, we will still make money on the product with the normal sale of the data in the first place. Its just making the news because it was a breach. It's not counted as a breach if the exact same party was to buy the data outright from ATT in the first place.

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