Trump Mobile reportedly leaking customer data

On Tuesday, YouTubers Coffeezilla and penguinz0 reported that Trump Mobile is leaking customer data, including mailing and email addresses. Coffeezilla, an investigative YouTuber known for analyzing crypto scams, and penguinz0, a YouTuber, both ordered the company’s T1 smartphone and were alerted to the exposure by a security researcher who discovered the data online. The researcher was unable to contact the company to resolve the issue, leaving the data exposed. Coffeezilla confirmed the vulnerability, noting that he is among the customers whose mailing and email addresses are being leaked. He warned others, “Do not order on trumpmobile.com unless you’re ready for your information to be leaked. It’s basically that bad.” Meanwhile, penguinz0 noted that they have received no response from the company regarding the issue.

The leak also sheds light on the actual adoption rate of the device. According to unique IDs found in the leaked data, Coffeezilla reported that it appears that only 30,000 people ordered the phone. This low adoption rate contrasts with the initial hype surrounding the product. Last year, according to an estimate, there had been 590,000 preorders for the device, which was priced at $100.

The data exposure adds to a series of operational and design issues for the T1 phone, which was originally marketed with the promise of being “Made in the USA.” According to NBC News, whose reporters obtained the device some nine months after its scheduled delivery date, the marketing language has since shifted to describe the phone as “designed with American values in mind” and “shaped by American innovation.” Additionally, publications like The Verge noted that the phone’s graphic design features an American flag with only 11 stripes instead of the 13 stripes it should have. Observers have also pointed out that the hardware looks similar to a two-year-old HTC phone, suggesting the device may be a rebranded version of an older model.

Why it matters

The incident highlights significant security and operational failures for a company marketing itself on American values, leaving customers vulnerable while the company remains unresponsive.