I think I remember this being proposed before too, though I might be mistaken. I'm sure the privacy groups that are usually up in arms about this will put up a good fight and maybe this bill won't pass. It all depends on how well the bill gets linked to the failed Times Square incident.
How will this effect the hobby? 1. If you have a prepaid cell phone already, don't let it expire! You might very well be grandfathered in until/unless they pass another bill or requirement that would necessitate the gathering of information when adding airtime if no such information had previously existed. Meanwhile, if the bill ever gets close to getting a presidential signature, that would be a good time to buy a 'spare' or two. 2. As we get more advanced, I don't think this will matter much. I have a Skype application that works on my regular cell phone. I can also run Google Voice on it. I'm sure if this bill passed and prepaid cell phones would no longer be 100% anonymous enough alternative and anonymous services would pop up that, while not technically being cell phones themselves, would function as 'intermediate' methods for making our communications effectively anonymous. At that point, we'd probably need more expensive burner phones capable of handling smart phone applications.. but, the whole combination would make it very burdensome for LE to track down what we were up to for essentially a misdemeanor. 3. Worst case scenario, the gov't and utilities will start seeing a lot more local petitions to bring back pay phones...
Cell phones are nothing more than two-way radios. So they'll switch to some other type of two-way radio. They won't have the same reach in distance from the scene but there's nothing stopping them from sending out high-power radio signals to get farther from the scene. Legislation like this would have a very bad impact on the hobby as most of us rely on prepaids to remain anonymous.
really hard!! If this bill goes through, this will not only allow the gov't to have information, but you know if they can get it, then so can anyone else......meaning, hobbying for some will be REALLY hard due to privacy issues! The gov't is getting into everything, it's crazy!!
Requiring an ID is nothing... Those folks doing 'really bad things' - those the bill claims to go after - gee, think they will really use a real ID for purchasing?
Anyway... Let's not get up in arms until there is real cause.
There is nothing you can do...if they choose to look at the cellular towers where you connect, they can eventually find you. They never gave you anonymity other than from a significant other or an employer if you chose not to make personal calls at work.
This still will not stop a jobber from buying a zillion phones and reselling them at flea markets, ebay, etc. The law of unintended consequences will come to play here, as it has with the continued cat and mouse game.
These days ebay has a gestapo that makes Uncle Sugar look like pussycats. Ebay made the rules changes they needed to make for the experience to be more secure - the result is that the little guy has been squeezed out. It's a place for businesses and hardcore collectors now. If you want to buy cheap stuff of dubious value, the Amazon marketplace is the way to go.
Totally stupid idea. You are talking about making 'terrorists' provide a drivers license or state ID to get a pre-paid?....These guys have ways of making fake passports and channeling millions of dollars through shadow bank accounts. Do they really think a driver's license is harder to fake? Not to mention that many of the terrorists are suicide bombers who don't care if they are found out afterwards. Drug dealers will just use fake ID or can get a stolen/cloned phone.
Waste of time and money in my opinion... and yes, it will ONLY effect people like us hobbyists/providers.
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