RTSat, 26 Mar 2016 18:36 UTC
© Paulo Whitaker / Reuters
Burner phones, beloved by criminals and TV writers everywhere, could be a thing of the past if a new bill by California lawmakers passes.
The proposed law would require prepaid phone customers to register their personal details before purchasing a burner phone or SIM card.
The Closing of Prepaid Mobile Device Security Gap bill, introduced by Jonestown massacre survivor State Rep Jackie Speier, could make it harder for those hoping to communicate anonymously.
Retailers would be required to verify those details at purchase and keep a record of the details gathered.
Despite hysteria surrounding encryption and its role in terrorism, the Paris attackers used prepaid phones to communicate rather than encryption.
"This bill would close one of the most significant gaps in our ability to track and prevent acts of terror, drug trafficking, and modern-day slavery," Speier said.Terrorists and others wishing not to be tracked often use multiple burner phones, with some only using the phone once before moving on to another.
While the bill wouldn't prevent customers from using fake or stolen identification to buy the phones, it would make things more complicated for terrorists who are currently able to buy prepaid phones in bulk.
The bill is the latest in efforts by politicians to crack down on technology that doesn't allow easy government access.
Earlier in the year, lawmakers in California and New York
sought to ban the sale of phones that have full encryption.
Comment: A ridiculous piece of legislation, and it'll prove to be mostly ineffective. Anyone can buy a phone and resell it in a multitude of ways (including Craigslist, eBay, local newspaper, swap shops, etc) and sign up for service online with no ID verification required. All a person usually needs to sign up for phone service online is a working phone, an email address, and a credit card or debit card. Furthermore, most phones support WiFi, so nothing stops people from buying a used phone and using in WiFi-only mode with a variety of openly available instant messaging, chat, and voice chat phone apps in conjunction with open public WiFi hotspots.
What makes you think they won't regulate that next?