Interesting article...

I know getting phones out the hands of badasses is the point of this, but everyday, our personal freedoms are eroding. This might not be the best example of that, but it makes you wonder if we'll ever have  privacy again. I love burners. I buy them. I use them because I can wipe them and throw them away. I love to pay with cash. Is that next? Can't buy anything over $5.00 w/o a credit card? Don't laugh, they are already talking about eliminating some forms of currency. When it cost 2cents to make one cent, that is fucked up and yes, why do we need fucking pennies. But let's not get carried away. Cell phones tomorrow, what's next? (End of Rant)

Let's hope the government puts this up for vote..Most likely tho this is the beginning of the end.

How convenient, the attempted bomber used a pre-paid...

I can hear the justification for requiring ID to have a phone:

"If you have nothing to hide..."

Glass houses and such.

Grrr...

Most of our civil rights are already taken away. Idiots use anonymous phones to blow up people. Government tracking your disposable phone for the hobby is an immense stretch and once you use the phone it is not impossible to track it, just a little difficult using the IMEI code. The legislation will make it easier to tie IMEI to the individual who bought the phone.

Suppose you purchased your phone using Credit Card, debit card, etc. You make a call, the IMEI is tracked to a carrier, IMEI is tracked to your credit/debit card, Voila. Purchasing the phone with cash would take few more steps to track but can be done by triangulating calls.

No big deal considering all other civil liberties that has been eroded. On the positive side, they would be busy tracking the real bad guys and there is plenty of them around.

Tying the proposed legislation to the hobby is a stretch. Don't believe anyone is going to vote against it since it is national security issue.

Having more than a passing interest in mobile communications technology and, ummmm, some of the "issues" mentioned in the article, I pretty much agree.

I also think this is good for hobbyists. I know, I can hear the screams already.

Wiretaps are not cheap and are a PITA for mobiles. If you don't know why, don't ask. Pre-paid technology is not insurmountable. If they're inclined to make the expense and effort, they'll get you. Eventually.

The Pre-paid phones give a false sense of security, IMO. Good tradecraft will get you just as far.

The only true benefit is having a separate hobby phone. I keep no traces on my phone by deleting all texts, call logs and not assessing hobby emails using the phones client tools (I just use the web browser).

There is the risk of unsolicited calls and messages from providers, and truly snoopy wives. These all need to be evaluated.

Don't mention phone numbers in email or PMs, etc. Keep each piece as separate as possible. If you provide your TER handle for screening keep in mind how that works in.

It's always possible to put the pieces together over time. There is no way to avoid it.

Why make it easy ?
For each and every obstacle the government puts in the way of "terrorists", they find a way around it.

In the meantime, gone is privacy and the benefit of acting in good faith anonymously.

Like everything else, it just takes one bad apple to spoil the bushel...

Oh well..

Thanks for the heads up OP, guess I'll just stock up

I wonder will there be a total recall, cancellation of service, provenance & continuation of service, or "grandfathered" situation where "on all NEW subscriptions", the "law" (WHEN it happens to come into effect) applies?

Hmm time to go shopping!

(luv shopping hehe)

xxx
Jinni

-- Modified on 5/29/2010 11:06:23 AM

I'd like to know how many members of Congress and their staff members use anon cell phones. I'm sure they have plenty of meetings and conversations they prefer to keep off of the official schedule.

There is no such thing as 100% Full Proof Security, anywhere any how. So, Security is matter of making it expensive and difficult to break it.

It goes for every kind of security starting from Burglar Alarm to onwards and upwards. The one's that forgets the rule gets ------!

You don't.

As it stands, you can't buy certain cold medicine without swiping your ID.

Cell phones are next, apparently.

After that, where does it go?  Alcohol?  Cigarettes? X-rated movies?  R-rated movies?  Playboy?  Maxim?  
Matches?  Gas?

Everything?

For the sake of National Security, okay, I get that part.

However, I think it sucks for us everyday law abiding people [with the exception of the hobby, of course]!!!
What about us provider's and the hobbyist's???

Thanks a lot ya fricken terrorists.  

Sorry. Had to toss a wee bit of a rant into this.
Ahhhhhh... Yea, I'm okay now.


Now back to our regularly scheduled programming. . . LOL!