more on Pre-paid mobile phones

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Brad Templeton <btm () templetons com>
Date: October 12, 2006 6:38:11 PM EDT
To: David Farber <dave () farber net>
Cc: ip () v2 listbox com
Subject: Re: [IP] more on Pre-paid mobile phones


I have run into these requirements for ID from time to time now.
However, generally if you tell them you don't want to give an
address they will fill in the address of the store.  The salesperson
wants to make a sale, after all, not enforce pointless rules.

Pointless because there is an anonymous aftermarket in prepaid
phones and SIM cards.   Buying a prepaid SIM card or even prepaid phone
when you visit a country for more than a few days is a wise choice,
considering both roaming charges and the cost of people to
phone you at a foreign number.  We are now starting to see
kiosks to sell SIMs in the arrivals hall of some airports.

However, it is reported that quite commonly hostels operate
a cheap and anonymous used market in prepaid phones and
cards, where people buy the cheap phone (perhaps $10 or so,
more if there's airtime in it) and sell it back for a
similar price.   It makes sense for the cost conscious
hostel guest.

As long as these markets exist, "bad guys" will be able
to get anonymous phones, and all this other tracking is
a waste of time and invasion of privacy.   And even if
they should ban these markets, I doubt they would
eliminate them, any more than they eliminate other
black and gray markets in products people want.


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