This argument is bolstered by the fact that Optus, in a manner that even Ebenezer Scrooge would struggle to emulate, has made no statement about when and how it will pay for credentials which have been compromised due to the company's errors.
A VicRoads statement says the state government will seek reimbursement from Optus. Good luck with that!
The degree of care that Optus has shown towards victims of this breach can be gauged by the fact that its last statement about the disaster was on 17 October. Two weeks on, the company is keeping its head low, in the hope that it can kick the can down the road in the best Google style.
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Optus' silence has been aided by the fact that the Federal Government, after an initial spell of bravado, has also stayed mum when it matters most.
On 14 October, Optus said in a statement to the Singapore Stock Exchange that customers, whose passport numbers were exposed in the catastrophic breach suffered by the telco, did not need to get the documents replaced.
It said this advice was being issued after discussions with the Federal Government. The government has been mum about the change of tack; Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on 28 September, six days after the breach announcement, that he had told Optus it must pay the costs for customers who want to replace their passports if their data was caught up in the breach.
Two days later, Albanese tweeted: "After actions taken by myself, @SenatorWong and @ClareONeilMP, Optus has agreed to pay for replacement passports for those affected by the data breach."
After that, Albanese has had other things occupying his mind, it would appear. The same appears to be the case with Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil, who initially was extremely robust in her statements about the breach.
Optus also said: "This process [how to pay for the passports] is currently being finalised and we will update customers ASAP."
At times like these, one is reminded of the famous Samuel Beckett play Waiting for Godot.
