Caution about using Apple's Ping in South Africa

I had a thought about Apple’s new music social network, Ping, and a potential risk for South Africans who have hacked US iTunes Store accounts (in other words, people who are using a US iTunes Store account without a legitimate US address and US credit card – similar story with other country stores too, I believe). Those people who have those accounts are almost certainly using them purely for research but this might be worth considering anyway …

Ping seems to use the user’s location to help identify local concerts and other location-based information relating to the service. The thought I had is that using Ping and editing your location to fit your actual location may alert Apple to any incorrect location information which may have been used to create and maintain the account and lead to the account’s termination on the basis of a breach of Apple’s terms of use.

Just a thought …

On the other hand, if you are using Ping, how is it working out for you? I can’t help but think I’d rather stick with Last.fm even if I was comfortable using Ping.

Oh, another interesting tidbit: anyone notice that Apple is ignoring another established social networking brand with the same name – Ping.fm. Loïc le Meur (Seesmic owns Ping.fm) is not pleased. I wouldn’t be pleased either.