The incident became a huge embarrassment for AT&T after Auernheimer and Spitler

In interviews after the hack, Auernheimer said his group had notified AT&T about the issue. But online chat logs filed in court by the prosecution cast doubt on that claim. "[Y]ou DID call tech support right?" asked one hacker, named Nstyr, in a chat log excerpt obtained by prosecutors. "[T]otally but not really," Auernheimer replied. "[I] don't... care [I] hope they sue me."

In other , Spitler and Auernheimer appear to be publicizing their data in order to cause the maximum amount of embarrassment to the companies involved -- for "lols," in hacker-speak. At one point, Spitler asks Auernheimer, "where can we drop this for max lols?"

On Thursday Goatse spokesman Leon Kaiser said iPad users would have faced serious consequences if the group hadn't gone public with its information. "Goatse Securities' disclosure process was kinder and safer than many well-respected security researchers," he said in an e-mail message. "AT&T refused to take responsibility for this gaping hole, and instead decided to take it out on two of our own in order to save face."