UK Requires ID for cell phone

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Posted: Sun Oct 19, 2008 12:32 pm

Please move to correct forum if this is not it...

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article4969312.ece

It would appear that the UK is going to require some kind of positive ID for cell phone purchase. I thought in our discussions in the UK you could get a pre-paid for cash and not have your real life details associated with it.

Is there a real chance of this passing?

Baiting Guru Joined: 19 Apr 2007 Posts: 3123

Jesus Christ.

Yet another invasion of privacy. I won't say much more, cause I'd go political Razz

A passport to buy a phone? Pick me up from the floor. Soon we won't be able to sneeze without someone at GCHQ sending the bomb squad round Rolling Eyes

I sincerely hope this does not pass, for more reasons than the obvious.

EDIT: After re-reading the passage, I don't need to say anything, this paragraph says it all:

Quote:

...to create a huge database to monitor and store the internet browsing habits, e-mail and telephone records of everyone in Britain.

Posted: Sun Oct 19, 2008 1:01 pm

Hey no problem, they're not that expensive, buy one for all your good friends and I'm sure you'll get a few back that you can use. Wink

That's simple enough, but can you imagine the trouble you're in when one gets stolen or lost, or just swapped with a friend Wink

And if you ask can I use your phone? They'll pick you up for interrogation? Smart idea, simply brilliant Laughing

Posted: Sun Oct 19, 2008 1:10 pm

They do that in Ozland. You can't get a unregistered mobile phone and package without giving them a drivers licence number. It must have something to do with all those dangerous terrorists we have in Australia. Rolling Eyes

Posted: Sun Oct 19, 2008 2:36 pm

of course they have not thought about the fact that criminals will happily use a stolen phone Confused

the value of a stolen phone will go up massively meaning criminals will try harder to steal them.
someone steals your phone and you will be investigated for any activity related to calls made on it.
the same goes for email messages, if your account gets hacked you will be in trouble for it no doubt.

still it is good to know that inspite of the economic crisis our government has plenty of money left after bailing out banks to do this to make our lives safer Rolling Eyes

Posted: Sun Oct 19, 2008 2:55 pm

Even if it happens, it will take months. More than enough time for criminals and terrorists to stock up with pay-as-you-go phones. And they have them already.

Posted: Sun Oct 19, 2008 3:02 pm

Look at those new markets then, foreign redirect your number sites, your anonymous internet phone number and no more free internet in hotels, library's and airports, smart move, that must have taken some really smart person a long time to figure that out. clapping

Baiting Guru Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 12237

How would they prevent someone from picking up something like this on Ebay?

Posted: Sun Oct 19, 2008 3:54 pm

^^ Exactly. You'll never stop the second hand, cash only sales of used phones. All it does it makes it hard for law abiding people to buy phones. Terrorists can still get hold of them through their usual underground sources... it's not like they've ever bought them from a shop anyway, and they're not going to start now.

I can't see this getting passed, it's just unworkable here... though NN's comment makes me think twice, clearly it happens elsewhere!

Posted: Sun Oct 19, 2008 5:58 pm

i got my vodafone and registered it with a computer operator. they said please say your d/lic #. I said 1122334455.

Ive never heard anything back from them

Posted: Sun Oct 19, 2008 9:44 pm

I have not looked into a pay as you go phone here in the US, but I suspect it is a call in to activate situation where you can lie like a lad about your info, and as long as you paid cash for the phone you are good to go.

Posted: Sun Oct 19, 2008 9:53 pm

^^ From what I've gathered from other conversations in the past, the ones you buy at Wal Mart etc are pre loaded with credit, and I believe that to activate the number, you just make a billable call. There is no requirement to register.
As you say, if any of the companies do require you to register, it's easy to provide false details. I've done it with a few of my UK numbers.

Posted: Sun Oct 19, 2008 10:26 pm

It's another attempt to get the whole database etc behind the ID cards idea a step closer. Ridiculous for many many reasons including ...

It'll take years - the (any) government has proved time and time again incapable of managing massive IT projects (NHS, CSA, etc).

All our unencrypted calls and emails can already be plucked off the air/wires by MI5 if they want them.

It does absolutely zero to improve security (Madrid train bombers - Spain have ID cards, didn't stop them)

We are already one of the most monitored countries in the world - there's a CCTV camera for every 14 people living in the country I read somewhere - even if that's an exaggeration there are still a staggering number compared with other countries.

The Lords (second parliamentary house) will block it thank god.

Don't stand for it, search NO2ID to see campaigns against this nonsense. Write to your MP saying you'll vote Tory if they oppose this whether or not it's true - Cameron can scare Brown off this I'm sure for now, but the buggers will keep on trying I'm sure!

I'm actually not anti the state being able to protect our interests as a nation by following the actions of hostile elements - it's generally one of the key roles of government to protect its voters - but this kind of balderdash contributes nothing towards that goal so must be opposed.

my 2p again, for what it's worth.

Posted: Sun Oct 19, 2008 11:22 pm

Mugatu wrote:

^^ Exactly. You'll never stop the second hand, cash only sales of used phones. All it does it makes it hard for law abiding people to buy phones. Terrorists can still get hold of them through their usual underground sources... it's not like they've ever bought them from a shop anyway, and they're not going to start now.

I can't see this getting passed, it's just unworkable here... though NN's comment makes me think twice, clearly it happens elsewhere!

How so? I don't think they need a DNA profile yet, just a driving licence or some other picture ID will do. And I think here in Oz it applies to purchasing a new SIM card, not a phone? Of course the crims will find a way around it. However, it makes it difficult to bait using a totally anonymous and untraceable phone number.

Posted: Mon Oct 20, 2008 3:41 am

I bought a prepaid cell phone here in the US a couple of years ago for my (now) 80 year old dad and as best as I remember, all we had to do to activate it was dial a phone number and punch in a code included with the phone. Of course, every time he adds time to it, he has to give HIS credit card number.

A co-worker has his phone stolen from his car. The police told him there would probably be only one unauthorized call within minutes of the theft and then the phone was probably thrown in a trash bin. Exactly what happened. Probable drug deal according to the authorities.

Every time I've dealt with my cell carrier I have to give them personal information that I think is more related to my ability to pay the bill than my political and/or criminal affiliations.

Absolutely no political intent in the following: I love British TV, one of my favorite program(me)s is MI-5 or Spooks as it was known in the UK. Currently I'm following "The Last Enemy" on PBS. I was watching an episode with my niece and remarked, after a scene filmed from a high rise flat in London, "wouldn't you like to live in London with that view?" and she replied, "not with all those cameras". Shocked

my advice to her was, I suppose with technology going where it is, the sort of world depicted in this story is inevitable, guess it's best to assure you're on the "inside"

No politics, just smart-ass sarcasm.
Cool

Posted: Mon Oct 20, 2008 6:21 am

Nurse Nasty wrote:

They do that in Ozland. You can't get a unregistered mobile phone and package without giving them a drivers licence number. It must have something to do with all those dangerous terrorists we have in Australia. Rolling Eyes

If you don't drive, then the ID thingy gets annoying. I bought a phone for my daughter recently and they wanted ID from both of us... But I agree, we're SO flooded with terrorists here in Oztraylia. I can't get on a tram with bumping into a C4 package.. . Ooooeer

Master of Master Baiters Joined: 26 Sep 2008 Posts: 689

you will just have to learn to talk in code on your mobile so use a phrase like (for example) "I'm going to bomb the white house" when you are about to go to the bathroom .... that'll confuse 'em! Twisted Evil

Posted: Mon Oct 20, 2008 7:51 am

I've registered lots of SIM's and it's like everything else if you are an honest person you won't have a problem. If you need a phone for criminal reasons there's not a law in any land will stop you. I've put crap in the registration details as well it works so no real hassle. It will be a toothless law if they pass it.
However I'm sure someone will get busted because they had a secret number for the mistress or for baiting. The terrorists won't even bat an eyelid.

Posted: Mon Oct 20, 2008 8:00 am

Same in France.
At least we can be "anonymous" for 2 weeks:
I just bought an Orange Bic Phone, cash, pre-paid and ready to go.
I've read all the papers (even the little characters) and they make it very clear that they will cut the line if they don't receive a scan of an ID card (yes, of an ID card) within 15 days. Grrrrrrr.
I don't even understand the purpose.

Posted: Mon Oct 20, 2008 8:05 am

Even if the phones are no longer anonymous (and this law will be passed - remember all those other ones that would never pass and are now on the statute books) I think it's very unlikely that a lad would ever find out who the real owner of a phone was...

... oh hang on this is the government that loses millions of people's bank details in the post, sells second hand computers containing personal data, leaves CDs of army recruits details on the train...

Are we sure that Gordon Brown isn't an oga? Crying or Very sad

Posted: Mon Oct 20, 2008 8:11 am

FYI this is the current situation in India. It is not a big deal and means that if there's no photo record against your SIM card then there's a problem.

Simple solution to a big problem if you ask me.

Posted: Mon Oct 20, 2008 9:06 am

It'll never work, there are already too many anonymous SIM cards out there, unless they switch them all of and make people re-register.

As has been said, stolen mobiles will become more valuable.

Coming in the same week as they say they want a database of all our email and website visits, Shocked

, what they don't mention is that, if you have it switched on, we can all be tracked by mobile already, as comes to light in prominent court cases.

I don't think any of this will be allowed to happen, however high on a Police / state wishlist it may be. Do you think Lord Soandso (the Professor's rich cousin) will want the papers to know that after visiting Madam Spanky's, he went home and logged in to largeladiesbendingover.com?

Trophy Videos · Posted: Mon Oct 20, 2008 12:40 pm

Lord Soandso will just use a stolen phone, Roy.^^ Laughing

Baiting Guru Joined: 07 Jan 2007 Posts: 2922

So glad i left...

I seriously recommend some further reading on this matter...

Posted: Mon Oct 20, 2008 6:35 pm

It's a bit late now thought with all free sim cards you can get off o2, orange etc.

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